Amendment to Alcohol Act angers former MP

By Antony Gitonga                                    

Former MP John Mututho, has criticised a move that seeks to allow alcohol be packed and sold in plastic bottles. Mututho, the brains behind the Alcoholic Control Act popularly known as ‘Mututho law’ termed the decision as “insensitive and misadvised”.

He warned the Government to be prepared for the latest action’s consequences, warning that all gains made in the Alcohol Act that also restricted use of plastic bottles would be eroded. A gazette notice published on Monday March 8, amended the Customs and Excise Act 2013 allowing brewers to pack their drinks in plastic or glass bottles.

Parts of the Act outlawed sell of beer in plastic bottles, a move that was met by strong opposition from brewers. They had argued the restriction would lead to the industry players incurring huge losses.

Reacting to the amendment, Mututho said the latest move would open the door for illegal brewers to introduce illicit drinks into the market.

Mututho warned that legalizing plastic bottles could lead to more deaths related to illicit drinks. But the CEO Keroche Breweries, Tabitha Karanja, welcomed the amendment saying that the Alcohol Control Act had adversely affected the sub-sector.

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