Kenya: The National Authority for Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) now wants fresh investigations to cases of deaths caused by illicit brews.
The authority said that it has written to the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to have the files re-opened. Nacada Chairman John Mututho (right) told The Standard they want cases dating back to 1994 reviewed and those responsible charged afresh.
Speaking in Naivasha on Thursday, Mututho was confident that the DPP would work with the authority in dealing with the incidents.
He identified the Mai Mahiu incident in 1994 as the point of entry adding that they would keenly follow the other deaths across the country.
"Death files are never closed," he said.
Analysing drinks
This comes days after 56 people died in Mozambique after consuming illicit brew. Mututho said Nacada is committed to prevent such an incident here.
"We shall meet as a board to discuss the issue and if need be we shall send our officers to Mozambique and India where tens have died due to taking illicit alcohol," he said.
The former Naivasha MP also said that Nacada has been analysing alcoholic drinks in the country, adding that they would release the results in a fortnight.
Mututho said that any brewer whose drinks would be found to be lethal will be charged.
"We came to realise that not all brewers brought in their drinks for analysis and we went to the market and collected samples for analysis," he said. And Nacada has identified Kasarani in Naivasha as the leading producer and consumer of illicit brews in Nakuru County.
"We are perturbed by the production and consumption of illicit brews in Kasarani, Naivasha and we are challenging the necessary government institutions to act," he said, adding that he will personally lead a raid in the area that is inhabited by hundreds of flower workers.
Mututho noted that the illegal trade has adversely affected hundreds of youths and families. Nacada says about 16.6 per cent of urban dwellers use various types of alcohol compared to 11.4 per cent of rural dwellers.
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