Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has launched an aggressive, multi-agency offensive against the booming trade in illicit alcohol and drugs, warning that the unchecked menace now poses a grave threat to the country’s social fabric, public health and economic future.
The hardline stance follows a firm directive issued by President William Ruto in his New Year Address, instructing the Ministry of Interior and National Administration to urgently upscale the fight against illegal brews, narcotics and organized criminal networks feeding on the crisis. 
Acting swiftly on the presidential order, CS Murkomen on Tuesday convened a high-level multi-agency meeting, bringing together top law enforcement and regulatory agencies to kick-start an enhanced national response to the proliferation of illicit alcohol and drugs.
At the core of the renewed strategy is the immediate strengthening of the Anti-Narcotics Unit (ANU). CS Murkomen directed the deployment of additional officers with immediate effect, with numbers set to rise progressively to full operational strength by the end of the year.
The move signals a sustained, no-nonsense campaign aimed at dismantling entrenched drug syndicates and illegal alcohol cartels that have operated with near impunity in parts of the country.
Murkomen further ordered the formation of a multi-agency task force to coordinate a nationwide crackdown on the distribution of illicit ethanol and drugs, targeting both street-level dealers and powerful financiers behind the trade.
Crucially, the operation will include the seizure of assets and property acquired through proceeds of illicit alcohol and drug trafficking, in strict accordance with the law — a strategy designed to cripple criminal networks financially.
To choke supply lines, the Interior CS directed enhanced policing along ungazetted border points and major transit routes, which have long been exploited by traffickers to smuggle harmful substances into and across the country.
Beyond enforcement, Murkomen emphasized the need for a humane response, instructing agencies to work closely with county governments to strengthen rehabilitation and recovery programmes for victims of drug and substance abuse.
The high-level meeting was attended by Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja; Chief of Strategy Execution in the Office of the President Hon. Adan Mohamed; Deputy Inspectors General Eliud Lagat (KPS) and Gilbert Masengeli (APS); Director of Criminal Investigations Mohamed Amin; Principal Administrative Secretary Beverly Opwora; Secretary for Internal Security Thomas Saka; KEBS CEO Dr. Esther Ngari; NACADA CEO Dr. Anthony Omerikwa; and Assets Recovery Agency Director-General Mark Ogonji, among other senior government officials.
With strong backing from the Presidency and a reinforced security apparatus, CS Murkomen has signalled a zero-tolerance era for illicit alcohol barons and drug traffickers, setting the stage for one of the most far-reaching crackdowns in recent years.
