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Kiambu County Senator Karungo wa Thang’wa has hit back at the Principal Secretary for the State Department of Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo over his response to former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua on his claims about illicit brews in Mt Kenya region.

PS Omollo had on December 23, 2024, issued a statement dismissing Gachagua’s claims that the government is facilitating alcoholism in the Mt Kenya region just after he was impeached.

Gachagua’s claims

Speaking during a church service in Naivasha on Sunday, December 22, Gachagua claimed that the government had undone his efforts to do away with illicit brew in Mt Kenya.

According to Gachagua, the PS was instructed by the president to reopen all alcohol factories manufacturing substandard alcohol and urged them to sell the alcohol exclusively in Mount Kenya.

“The Interior Security PS was instructed by the President to reopen all those alcohol factories, and they were urged to sell the alcohol exclusively in Mount Kenya. It is not sold in Rift Valley or anywhere else. Yesterday, three people died in Bahati,” Gachagua claimed.

PS Omollo’s response

However, Omollo termed Gachagua’s sentiments as selfish and politically motivated, he added that the government does not produce, distribute or retail any alcoholic drinks.

“The State Department of Internal Security and National Administration wishes to condemn the reckless statements made by the impeached former Deputy President Mr. Rigathi Gachagua in a church service he attended yesterday accusing the government of deliberately targeting citizens of Kenya in Mt. Kenya region with illicit and counterfeit alcohol distribution,” Omollo said.

“Only this weekend we had the unfortunate tragic loss of lives of three Kenyans in Nakuru following the consumption of illicit alcohol and their families are in mourning. We take great exception that such grave national matters can be trivialized by one individual, on a church podium nonetheless, without empathy for the families that may be struggling with this crisis.”

Senator Thang’wa hits back

While responding to Omollo’s statement, Senator Thang’wa said the government should shift focus from castigating Gachagua, and address the pressing questions on the illicit brews.

The lawmaker argues that PS Omollo had chosen to trivialize Gachagua’s concerns about illicit alcohol in Mt. Kenya.

“It is both amusing and disappointing that the Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration, Dr. Raymond Omollo, chose to trivialize the People’s DP H.E Rigathi Gachagua’s concerns about illicit alcohol in Mt. Kenya & other regions by prioritizing character attacks over meaningful response. For a matter as dire as the rise of illicit alcohol-a menace tearing apart families and livelihoods-one would expect a more serious and constructive approach from such an esteemed office,” Thang’wa stated.

Senator Thang’wa went ahead to claim that Kenya witnessed a significant decline in the sale and consumption of illicit alcohol during Gachagua’s tenure as DP.

“The assertion that H.E Gachagua’s remarks were politically motivated is as unconvincing as it is unproductive. The reality remains: during his tenure, Kenya witnessed a significant decline in the sale and consumption of illicit alcohol. That progress, now seemingly reversed, deserves an honest evaluation rather than dismissive rhetoric. If lies and deflection were effective governance tools, perhaps we wouldn’t still be grappling with such tragedies as the recent loss of lives in Nakuru,” Thang’wa’s statement reads.

The pressing questions the lawmaker wants the government to focus on are:

1. What specific measures are in place to ensure the 25-point enforcement program effectively suppresses the production and distribution of illicit alcohol?
2. What steps are being taken to address the resurgence of illicit alcohol in regions like Mt. Kenya, despite the purported vetting of manufacturers and distillers?
3. How does the government intend to hold local enforcement officers.

My Response to the PS, Internal Security and National Administration, on His Press Statement Regarding Responsible Leadership and Illicit Alcohol. pic.twitter.com/R1GnakHinG

— Sen. Karungo wa Thang'wa (@KarungoThangwa) December 23, 2024