Former Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria /HANDOUTFormer Cabinet Secretary Moses Kuria has credited former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua with making progress in the fight against illicit alcohol in the Mt Kenya region.
He, however, criticised Gachagua’s political choices and questioned the commitment of the current holder of the deputy presidency to tackling the problem.
Kuria was reacting to a video showing a funeral of a woman who reportedly died as a result of the illicit alcohol menace.
In a statement, he said Gachagua had been serious about addressing the problem during his tenure.
“Rigathi Gachagua was serious about fighting illicit brews in Mt Kenya region. The current holder of that office is not. This woman would not have gone through this pain,” Kuria said.
The former CS, however, sought to draw a distinction between Gachagua’s record on illicit alcohol and his broader political leadership. Kuria said he strongly disagreed with Gachagua’s political decision-making, arguing that the former DP had a history of making choices that were not beneficial to the community.
“And above all I know a lot about him from our time together in the 12th Parliament, Tanga Tanga movement and the Cabinet,” Kuria said, while maintaining that Gachagua had nevertheless made strides in addressing the illicit alcohol problem.
Gachagua has repeatedly raised the issue of illicit brews in Mt Kenya since leaving office, claiming that the crackdown he championed while serving as Deputy President had weakened after his departure.
In February 2025, he said the illicit alcohol trade had returned to the region after residents had welcomed his earlier efforts to tackle it.
“I had fought illicit brew in Central. People were happy with this programme. But now these illicit brews are back,” Gachagua said in an interview at the time.
His claims have previously drawn criticism from the government, with Interior Ministry officials dismissing them as politically motivated and maintaining that the national crackdown on illicit alcohol remained ongoing.
The government had already identified illicit brews and substance abuse as a major concern in Mt Kenya.
In 2023, government officials described toxic alcohol, narcotics and substance abuse as a serious threat to the region and directed security officials to intensify efforts against the manufacture, distribution and sale of illicit substances.
Gachagua has continued to make the illicit alcohol problem part of his wider political messaging in Mt Kenya, while also mobilising regional leaders and MCAs to address the issue through coordinated legislation and enforcement.
