Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has fired back at the remarks made previously by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, blaming chiefs and police officers for the failure to curb the sale of illicit alcohol and drugs.
In his speech on July 30, Murkomen had blamed the chiefs and police officers for failing to control drug and substance abuse, saying that the enforcement must begin at the grassroots levels.
“We take the problem to the lowest unit possible. And I have told the chiefs and the OCSs that when, wherever there is no alcohol or drugs that are sold in Kenya without the support and the knowledge of the chief and the OCS,” Murkomen said.
In a response on July 31, Gachagua termed the claims misleading and accused Murkomen of ignoring the real cause of drug and substance abuse, which he said was policy sabotage from the top.
Gachagua defends his tenure in government
“You are wasting your time and enjoying the people of Kenya and treating them as fools,” Gachagua addressed the interior CS.
He defended the efforts made to combat alcohol abuse during his tenure as the deputy president, saying that he managed to eliminate the illicit brews.
“In a record one year of consistent hard work and practical interventions, we successfully eliminated illicit and poisonous alcohol and brought sobriety,” he said.
Gachagua said the programme led to increased tax collection as young people started engaging in productive activities.
“KRA reported an increase in excise duty as Kenyans were now consuming genuine alcohol from authorised establishments,” he noted.
Gachagua blames Ruto
He accused President William Ruto, Murkomen’s predecessor, and the current principal secretary of sabotaging those gains by reinstating banned distilleries.
Also Read: Murkomen Launches Ruthless Crackdown, Promises Arrests for Every Drug User
“Your PS personally looked for manufacturers of illicit alcohol that we had shut down and authorised them to continue manufacturing and distributing poison,” Gachagua said.
Gachagua also criticised the withdrawal of funding from a rehabilitation initiative led by the then Deputy President’s spouse.
He added that Ruto sabotaged a “very successful programme” by withdrawing the budget that was supporting the rehabilitation of thousands of youths across the country.
The former deputy president dismissed Murkomen’s focus on local administrators as insincere.
Gachagua says Murkomen is insincere
“How does anybody trust you will sack public officials for abetting the sale of drugs before you ask your boss to deal with your two colleagues who are known international drug lords?” Gachagua posed.
Also Read: Govt Unveils Major Plan for All Universities as Drug Abuse Rates Surge
The former Deputy President added that the government should stop public relations exercises and instead implement the laws already in place.
“We have sufficient laws and other regulations on alcohol. Implement them. Spare Kenyans the joke and get to work,” he said.
Gachagua concluded by calling for accountability from the top telling the interior CS that drama and loftiness won’t help reminding him that Kenyans deserve real leadership, not threats and blame games.
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