As the scramble for Mt Kenya region intensifies ahead of the 2027 General Election, the fight against illicit alcohol has emerged as a major battleground between Deputy President Kithure Kindiki and his predecessor Rigathi Gachagua.
Since the fallout between President William Ruto and Gachagua following the latter’s impeachment in October 2024, the region has become a political contest between State officials and the Opposition, with both sides seeking to consolidate their influence.
Agriculture, government funding for development projects and the resurgence of illicit brews have emerged as key campaign issues, with the latter carrying significant social and political weight.
The region comprises Nyeri, Nyandarua, Murang’a, Kiambu, Kirinyaga, Embu, Meru, Tharaka-Nithi, Nakuru and Laikipia counties.
The spread of illicit alcohol has sparked concern among residents, particularly older people and women, who fear that alcohol abuse is destroying the lives and futures of young men in the region.
On September 21, three young men died in Kimende town, Lari subcounty, Kiambu county, after consuming suspected poisoned or illicit alcohol. Others were left in critical condition after drinking the suspected toxic brew sold at a local establishment.
Further deaths have been reported across the region, although the full extent of fatalities linked to illicit alcohol remains unclear.
As he steps up his political activities in the region, which is also his home turf, Kindiki has made the crackdown on illicit brews a priority, issuing stern warnings to those involved in their manufacture and sale.
On October 2, the deputy president vowed tough action against traders selling harmful alcoholic drinks, saying the government would not allow Kenyans to be exposed to poison disguised as liquor.
“I am warning those selling harmful drinks that their days are numbered. We will come for you. I assure you that we will not allow anyone to sell poisonous drinks in the name of alcohol to our people,” Kindiki said.
“Some do not even have premises. They just mix chemicals and sell to Kenyans. We are coming for you. We have fought Al Shabaab and bandits; we cannot be defeated by illicit alcohol traders,” he added.
However, Gachagua has challenged the government’s record, accusing Kindiki of allowing illicit brews to make a comeback in Mt Kenya.
The former deputy president has cited the alleged resurgence of the drinks as one of the factors behind his strained relationship with Ruto and Kindiki, claiming his campaign against the trade contributed to his fallout with the President.
“Every week we are burying ten youth due to consumption of illicit brews,” Gachagua said.
He further accused Kindiki of undermining the crackdown he had pursued while serving as Deputy President.
“Professor Kindiki, you can’t be my brother because you don’t mean well for us. When I finished illicit brews, Ruto called you and ordered you to sabotage that war. You ordered police to leave the war against those brews,” he said.
The accusations have turned the fight against illicit alcohol into a contest over the government’s performance and the leaders’ commitment to addressing a problem that continues to worry families across the region.
Political observers say the issue's prominence could make it a defining subject in the contest for Mt Kenya support, with both camps seeking to convince residents that their approach offers a lasting solution.
“This is an issue right at the centre of Mt Kenya’s social crisis. Both leaders are shaping narratives about the efforts they have made to control it. The victory belongs to whoever will convince the masses about how they are controlling it,” said James Mwangi, a Nyeri-based political observer.
