Mututho promises tougher alcohol laws

What you need to know:

  • He was speaking during the launch of a tripartite awareness campaign to be conducted by Nacada, bar owners and alcohol producers dubbed Responsible Alcohol Drinks Companies Association.
  • The former MP also took a swipe at police for sleeping on the job and urged them to re-introduce the Alcoblow breathalyser this festive season and carry out impromptu searches on vehicles for alcohol.

Revellers, bars and alcoholic beverage producers must brace for stricter enforcement of control laws this festive season.

National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) chairman John Mututho Wednesday said: “Police went into a slumber and Kenyans went on a party and spoilt it for themselves, so do not blame Mututho.”

He said Nacada was only prompting police to effect a law that has been in place since 1970 and it should not be called “Mututho law”.

Mr Mututho said he would not relent until alcohol abuse in Kenya is over, pointing out that Kenyans consumed up to 75 per cent of all the alcohol in East Africa.

“Whenever you want to host a party, you notify police or the chief to obtain a permit at Sh500 to Sh1,000. And this is for your own safety,” he said.

He said the licence expires at 11pm. “If you want to party past 11pm the permit does not protect you and you will have to contact the law enforcers for special consideration,” he said.

The former MP also took a swipe at police for sleeping on the job and urged them to re-introduce the Alcoblow breathalyser this festive season and carry out impromptu searches on vehicles for alcohol.

He said they should even taste the contents of water bottles as they were used to disguise alcohol.

“The other day, I drove all the way from Kitale and not one vehicle was inspected by the police for alcohol. We urge the police and other government agencies to assist in the fight against drunk driving. We would rather see Kenyans next year being released from Kamiti than in obituaries,” he said.

He was speaking during the launch of a tripartite awareness campaign to be conducted by Nacada, bar owners and alcohol producers dubbed Responsible Alcohol Drinks Companies Association.

The Sh25 million campaign will involve advertisements on billboards posters and the press calling for responsible drinking habits as well as working with churches civil society and county government to educate young people on dangers of alcohol abuse.

Mututho warned bar owners who sell poor quality alcohol that he would lobby legislatures to pass a law that will close down any bar whenever a reveller dies in it. According to NACADA there are over 500 brands of wines and spirits of which only 50 are known by Kenya Bureau of Standards.

William Okedi, Chief Executive NACADA added that they were also embarking on controlling shisha, kuber and other drugs which were being commercially sold without assessment of their effects.

“We are conducting a survey with the national Public health office and the government chemist to analyse what chemicals are in these substances and what effects are In their users to curb on their abuse which was becoming fashionable among the youth,” he said.