Uasin Gishu Woman Rep Gladys Shollei and Kesses MP Julius Rutto have raised alarm over a proliferation of illicit liquor triggered by ethanol trafficking and the prevalence of harmful agricultural chemicals, warning that the twin threats pose a serious danger to public health.
Speaking during the groundbreaking for the new 4,000-bed Multi-specialty Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Kiplombe, Soy Sub-County, Shollei decried an increase of illicit alcohol, linking the crisis to uncontrolled access to ethanol and disparities in excise duty across the East Africa states.
Shollei noted that while Kenya charges Sh300 per litre, Uganda and Tanzania levy as little as Sh30 and Sh60 respectively, making it easy for smugglers to bring ethanol into Kenya, where it is used to produce toxic brews with an alcohol content as high as 60 percent.
She challenged the government to enforce stern transportation standards, insisting that ethanol should be handled like petrol and transported in designated tankers rather than in widely abused 20-litre containers.
“This is what is killing our children. Why are we allowing ethanol to be transported in jerrycans?” she asked, urging the Ministries of Health and Interior to take decisive action to address the matter.
The Woman Rep also highlighted the continued use of harmful pesticides in Kenya, noting that many are banned in Europe and the United States but continue to be sold and used in Kenya.
Shollei warned that the agricultural chemicals are significantly contributing to rising cancer cases, particularly in regions with heavy usage.
“There is no point in building world-class hospitals if we continue exposing our people to carcinogenic products,” she said.
Kesses Member of Parliament, CPA Julius Rutto, echoed similar concerns on ethanol misuse, pointing out that despite repeated reports, little or no action has been taken.
“There is a syndicate operating in this region, and the continued movement of ethanol poses a serious threat to our young people, especially our learners,” Rutto said.
Rutto called on the Cabinet Secretary for Health, Aden Duale, to urgently form a joint task force with Ministry of Interior personnel to protect the population from the rampant illegal alcohol trade.
The two MPs reiterated that while the new facility, set to become Africa’s largest hospital North of the Sahara marks a significant advancement in healthcare infrastructure, the country must simultaneously address preventable causes of illness and death and confront the root causes harming the population, and urged swift intervention to safeguard communities across Uasin Gishu and the wider North Rift region.
by Fredrick Maritim
