Gachagua Accuses Ruto of Failing Mount Kenya in Alcoholism Fight
Mount Kenya has long grappled with the challenge of alcohol and drug abuse, which has adversely affected many families and communities.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched fresh accusations against President William Ruto, claiming the head of state is enabling the proliferation of alcoholism in the Mount Kenya region. Photo/Rigathi Gachagua.
Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has launched fresh accusations against President William Ruto, claiming the head of state is enabling the proliferation of alcoholism in the Mount Kenya region.
Speaking during a church service in Naivasha, Gachagua alleged that the president’s policies have reversed progress in the fight against alcohol and drug abuse, which he claims to have championed during his tenure.
“The Interior Security PS was instructed by the President to reopen all those alcohol factories, and they were urged to sell the alcohol exclusively in Mount Kenya. It is not sold in Rift Valley or anywhere else. Yesterday, three people died in Bahati,” Gachagua stated.
The former deputy president further alleged that local authorities, including police and chiefs, have been directed to turn a blind eye to the sale of illicit alcohol in the region.
According to Gachagua, these actions are part of a deliberate effort to reduce the number of registered voters in Mount Kenya by targeting the youth with harmful substances.
“Since they forced me out of office, the President has ordered all the illicit alcohol that kills people to be brought here to destroy our young people,” he claimed. “It is immoral; it is unacceptable to target a community for destruction and extinction through the sale of poison to them.”
Gachagua lamented that his earlier efforts to curb alcoholism in the region had been undone, asserting that the war on alcoholism could still be won if the government prioritized it.
“It is entirely possible to end the war on alcoholism because I had already achieved it,” he remarked.
Mount Kenya has long grappled with the challenge of alcohol and drug abuse, which has adversely affected many families and communities.
Stakeholders, including religious leaders and community activists, have frequently called for stronger measures to combat the vice.
As Gachagua’s allegations fuel further debate, questions are now being raised about the government’s commitment to addressing the deep-rooted issue of alcoholism in Mount Kenya and the wider implications for the region’s development.
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