Alcohol manufacturers and bar operators in Kitengela have teamed up to combat the sale and distribution of illicit and potentially lethal alcoholic drinks in the area.
The initiative comes after three people died after allegedly consuming illicit brew in the Migingo area of Kitengela on Monday, September 21.
Speaking after a joint stakeholders’ meeting in Kitengela, Isinya Sub-County Bar Owners Association Coordinator Fredrick Chege said bar owners had agreed to conduct regular spot checks in collaboration with police officers to ensure that only legitimate alcoholic products were sold in their establishments.
“We won’t allow illicit alcohol to kill people in Kitengela again, and we won’t allow unscrupulous people to come and ruin their legitimate businesses,” said Chege.
He urged manufacturers of legitimate alcoholic brands to put measures in place to prevent their empty bottles from being misused to package illicit alcohol.
Chege called on the brands to authorise designated persons to collect their empty bottles, saying the move would help prevent unscrupulous dealers from repackaging illicit alcohol in bottles bearing legitimate brand names.
Nelson Kangethe, a bar owner, urged bar owners and bartenders to sell legitimate alcohol and desist from putting customers’ lives at risk.
“You still need those people to buy from you tomorrow, so you should sell something that is legitimate,” he said.
Onesmus Muturi of Platinum Distillers urged the government to intensify the crackdown on counterfeit and illicit alcoholic products.
“We are also urging the public, who raid bars once illicit alcohol kills people, to ask for the source of that alcohol so that we can eliminate it from the source. No company has the capacity to produce alcohol for one bar only,” he said.
The stakeholders pledged to work closely with law enforcement agencies and other government institutions to inspect retail outlets, identify illegal operators and ensure that all alcoholic products sold in Kitengela meet the required safety standards.
The initiative is also expected to help protect legitimate businesses from unscrupulous traders who use genuine alcohol brands to disguise illicit products.
By Diana Meneto
