More than 2.8 million litres of illicit alcohol have been seized and over 900 suspects arrested since the Government launched a nationwide crackdown in December 2025, the Ministry of Interior and National Administration has said.
According to data compiled by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse, the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) and border security agencies, the intelligence-led operation has also seen the seizure of various quantities of narcotics and precursor substances.
Authorities reported the recovery of 21,280 litres of ethanol, 4,347 kilogrammes of cannabis, 7.7 kilogrammes of cocaine, 6.4 kilogrammes of ketamine and 1.1 kilogrammes of methamphetamine.
The crackdown followed a directive issued by William Ruto on December 31, 2025, when he declared illicit alcohol and drug abuse a “national development and security emergency.”
Since then, the Interior Ministry has rolled out a multi-agency campaign spearheaded by NACADA in collaboration with the National Police Service and National Government Administrative Officers.
Official data shows that 2,846,590 litres of illicit alcohol were seized during the period under review, with the Rift Valley region recording the highest volumes at more than 870,000 litres.
The region was followed by Nyanza, where over 690,000 litres were recovered, and Western, where about 600,000 litres were netted.
In Nairobi City County, authorities seized 309,408 litres of counterfeit alcohol, while the Eastern region recorded more than 200,000 litres. Central and Coast regions each accounted for over 60,000 litres, with North Eastern registering 500 litres.
Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen said the government will intensify the campaign, particularly during school holidays, to sustain the gains made.
He noted that the multi-agency team is now shifting focus to dismantling entire supply chains by targeting manufacturers, distributors and financiers of illicit alcohol and drugs.
“We are moving beyond prosecution to seizing assets and freezing accounts of those found culpable,” Murkomen said, warning that public officers found colluding with criminal networks risk dismissal.
The CS maintained that the government will sustain the operation until all illicit alcohol and drug cartels are dismantled, describing the vice as a threat to the country’s social fabric and economic future.
“We shall not relent until we have completely dismantled all drug and illicit alcohol cartels stealing the future of our children,” he said.
The operation brings together multiple agencies, including the National Intelligence Service (NIS), Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Financial Reporting Centre, Anti-Counterfeit Authority and the Asset Recovery Agency.
