Government administrators in Kenya have been ordered to enforce a one-pub-per-town directive to fight alcoholism.
Kenya’s deputy president, Rigathi Gachagua ordered administrators especially in the country’s central region to enforce the new directive issued last week.
Gachagua also wants entertainment joints to only operate between 17:00 to 23:00 local time in the new measures meant to deal with alcoholism.
There are fears the directives could see many resort to homemade alcohol – often laced with industrial chemicals. Deaths from illicit brews have previously been reported.
But Mr Gachagua insisted that alcoholism in the region was dire and told officials not to renew pub licences once they expire.
“Let us deal with these issues, let us save the next generation, otherwise we have a problem as society,” he said.
Kenya is experiencing negative repercussions from alcohol abuse.
In a 2011 report, the Kenyan National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority (NACADA) revealed that alcohol and drug abuse are the major social problems in Kenya, with serious public health ramifications.
NACADA estimates that half of all alcohol and drug abusers in Kenya are between 10 and 19 years old.
Source: Africafeeds.com