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| Head of Presidential Communication and Creative Economy Dennis Itumbi (left) speaking with the Kirinyaga County Commissioner Shufaa Omar Mwijuma during an official administrative meeting. |
Dennis Itumbi has stepped up his campaign against illicit and counterfeit alcohol in Kirinyaga announcing a 14-day multi-agency operation targeting the networks behind the trade. The State House official said the operation will bring together security officials, National Government Administration Officers, Kirinyaga County administrators, NACADA, KRA, KEBS, the Anti-Counterfeit Authority and community representatives to share intelligence and target manufacturers, middlemen and retailers. Itumbi said the government will protect legitimate businesses while disrupting the supply of illicit and counterfeit alcohol across villages and towns.
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| Local administration officials, police officers and community leaders |
The announcement follows several warnings by Itumbi this month. On September 14, he declared what he called a “full-blown war” against illicit brews in Kirinyaga specifically naming locally known brews Kathuri-ng’ui and Mogondora. He said the response should go beyond arrests and enforcement to include rehabilitation, mentorship, spiritual support and medical intervention describing addiction as a condition requiring treatment. He also warned traders who allegedly use bribery to evade enforcement that they would be targeted.
Itumbi’s latest remarks come against a backdrop of previous alcohol-related incidents in the county. In February 2024, 17 people died in the Kangai and Kandongu areas of Mwea West after consuming suspected illicit alcohol with others reportedly suffering blurred vision. Kirinyaga authorities later stepped up enforcement while NACADA and other agencies have continued conducting operations against illegal and expired alcohol. In February 2026, NACADA, police and KRA officers seized suspected counterfeit and expired alcohol from three establishments in Kirinyaga and arrested two people.
Itumbi has now shifted from the earlier consultation phase to a specific 14-day action plan. He says the approach will also consider people already dependent on alcohol including treatment for those who may experience withdrawal and efforts to help recovering users move into productive activities such as agriculture. “The mission is simple,” Itumbi said, “Disrupt the networks. Get illicit and counterfeit alcohol out of our villages and towns. Protect our people.”