- Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced the proposed changes during a follow-up review meeting on combating illicit alcohol and drugs at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026
The Government is reviewing the legal framework governing illicit alcohol to introduce tougher penalties for individuals involved at every stage of the supply chain, including manufacturers, distributors, financiers and those who facilitate the trade.
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced the proposed changes during a follow-up review meeting on combating illicit alcohol and drugs at the Official Residence in Karen, Nairobi, on Wednesday, October 21, 2026.
The proposed legal measures form part of a broader national security response in which the Government has elevated the manufacture, distribution, sale and consumption of illicit alcohol to the category of organised crime, alongside terrorism and banditry.
Kindiki said the review was intended to strengthen the Government’s ability to address networks involved in producing and distributing harmful alcoholic drinks.
“The law will also be reviewed to introduce extremely punitive measures against anyone involved in the supply chain of illicit alcohol, from manufacturers and suppliers to aiders and abettors, enablers, financiers and even consumers,” he said.
He argued that the effects of harmful drinks were not confined to individual consumers, but extended to public health and national security.
The Deputy President said the Government had classified illicit alcohol and drugs among the three greatest threats to Kenya’s future, warning that the damage could reverse development gains.
The review is accompanied by efforts to strengthen enforcement agencies and coordinate their activities through a permanent secretariat established on the sixth floor of Harambee House Annex.
The secretariat includes representatives from the National Police Service, Kenya Bureau of Standards, NACADA, Anti-Counterfeit Authority, alcohol manufacturers association, National Intelligence Service, Directorate of Criminal Investigations, Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Ministry of Trade, Ministry of Health and Kenya Revenue Authority.
Kindiki said the Government had also resolved to strengthen the capacity of key agencies, particularly anti-counterfeit bodies, KEBS and the Anti-Narcotics Unit of the Kenya National Police Service.
Recent enforcement efforts reported during the review included nine successful operations targeting ethanol, which is used in illicit spirits, and 116 operations against traditional brews manufactured outside the legal framework.
The Deputy President said intelligence-led operations would continue and could be intensified, with security agencies directed to support NACADA in sustaining enforcement.
He said the Government would provide updates after operations had been successfully concluded to protect intelligence and prevent suspects from disappearing or disabling infrastructure that could constitute evidence.
Kindiki also highlighted the importance of asset forfeiture and confiscation measures in the broader fight against illicit alcohol and drugs. In remarks issued following the meeting, he said legislative proposals were being finalised to allow the seizure of assets and funds linked to cartel networks, with proceeds intended to support the rehabilitation of people affected by alcohol and drug addiction.
The Government has further directed that the campaign remain apolitical and called on Kenyans from different sectors to support the effort.
The proposed legal changes are intended to strengthen accountability throughout the illicit alcohol supply chain, although the measures remain subject to the applicable legislative process.