Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has warned dealers of illicit drugs and adulterated ethanol, saying the government is stepping up its crackdown on alcohol and substance abuse across the country.

Speaking on Sunday, January 4, 2026, during an interdenominational church service in West Pokot County, Murkomen described 2026 as a critical year in the fight against drug and substance abuse.

“This is the year we are liberating our youth from the yoke of drug and substance abuse,” Murkomen said, adding that authorities would focus on dismantling networks involved in the trade of illicit drugs and adulterated alcohol.

He said the multi-agency team is ready to conduct operations following the directive issued by President William Ruto to strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Unit, even as he pushed for a death penalty for the drug dealers.

The directive, announced during the president’s New Year’s address, includes plans to recruit an additional 500 officers.

Country’s major impediment

Murkomen said the government considers alcohol and substance abuse a major impediment to national development, particularly due to its impact on the country’s productive population.

“There is no country that can achieve first-world status when its most productive population is trapped in alcohol and substance abuse,” he said.

He also urged county governments to establish at least one rehabilitation centre in each county to support treatment, recovery, and reintegration of people affected by drug and alcohol dependency.

According to government plans outlined by Ruto, the Anti-Narcotics Unit within the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) is set to be strengthened and expanded.

The unit’s personnel are expected to increase from about 200 to 700 officers and be equipped with enhanced surveillance, intelligence, forensic, and financial investigation capabilities.

The Anti-Narcotics Unit

The President said the expanded unit would focus on investigating high-level drug trafficking and illicit alcohol networks, alongside asset tracing, seizure, and forfeiture.

In his New Year’s address delivered from Eldoret State Lodge on December 31, 2025, the president declared alcohol and drug abuse a national emergency, citing its impact on public health, national security, productivity, and social stability.

He referred to statistics indicating that a significant proportion of Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 use at least one substance of abuse, with millions affected nationwide, and noted that harmful use often begins at a young age.

“This crisis demands decisive national action,” he stated.

He noted that any assets recovered through such operations would be redirected towards rehabilitation, prevention, and treatment programmes.

Ruto also warned that any government official or security officer found to be colluding with drug traffickers would face prosecution and dismissal from public service.