Nairobi, Jun 12, 2026 (Capital FM/All Africa Global Media via COMTEX) --
The National Police Service (NPS) has proposed the creation of a dedicated Border Alcohol Smuggling Interdiction Unit to tackle the growing influx of counterfeit alcohol and illegal ethanol entering Kenya through cross-border smuggling networks.
Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja said the unit should bring together officers from the NPS, Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) to strengthen surveillance and enforcement along key border points.
According to a report submitted to the National Assembly's Public Petitions Committee, the proposed unit would operate under a dedicated intelligence-sharing framework aimed at detecting, intercepting and dismantling organized criminal networks involved in the illegal alcohol trade.
Kanja noted that transnational syndicates are increasingly smuggling industrial ethanol and counterfeit branded alcohol from neighboring countries, fueling Kenya's illicit alcohol market and undermining government efforts to regulate the sector.
The police report describes illicit alcohol as a growing criminal enterprise linked to organized crime, drug trafficking, money laundering, corruption and gender-based violence. It further notes that consumption of illegal brews has contributed to deaths, serious health complications, loss of productivity and the breakdown of families and communities.
Despite ongoing crackdowns, authorities continue to face challenges including limited Government Chemist testing facilities, weak penalties for offenders, corruption, inadequate storage facilities for seized alcohol and the widespread acceptance of some traditional brews.
To strengthen enforcement, the NPS has also proposed the establishment of a permanent multi-agency task force bringing together NACADA, KEBS, KRA, county governments, the Ministry of Health, the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission.
The report notes that while Kenya has legal frameworks governing alcohol production and sale, persistent bans and enforcement gaps have pushed parts of the industry underground, creating unsafe and unregulated markets that are difficult to monitor.
COMTEX_483740871/2029/2026-06-12T04:31:51
by Kevin Rotich
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