Nacada partners with Rift Valley clergy in fight against drug and alcohol abuse
Rift Valley
By
Patrick Vidija
| Jun 15, 2026
The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) is now in a banking partnership with religious leaders in the North Rift region to enhance the war on drug and alcohol abuse.
In a decisive show, Board Chair Bishop Stephen Mairori, in the company of Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, while meeting the clergy, vowed to dismantle the drug and alcohol networks destroying Kenya’s youth.
In a meeting that heard harrowing testimonies of how cheap illicit brews, narcotics, and rising school unrest have left families shattered and futures incinerated, the clergy raised an alarm over rampant addiction gripping children as young as primary school age.
“Our youth are perishing, families are hurting, schools are burning, and communities are bleeding. We cannot stand idle while a generation is wiped out,” said Mairori, adding, “This initiative is in direct line with implementing the Presidential directive on the fight against drugs in this country.
The move comes after reports indicated that Rift Valley recorded the highest number of illicit alcoholic brews seized in the country over the last two and a half years.
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Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Police Eliud Lagat told the National Assembly's Public Petitions Committee that security agencies confiscated a total of 493,073 litres of illicit alcohol in the region between January 2024 and May 2026.
This, he said, highlights the scale of the illegal alcohol trade and the progress made in efforts to curb the vice, according to data presented to Parliament.
The figures include 254,272 litres seized in 2024, 189,293 litres in 2025 and 49,508 litres during the first five months of 2026.
Alongside the seizures, police arrested 16,040 suspects in connection with illicit alcohol-related offences in Rift Valley in 2024 although the number dropped significantly to 2,104 arrests in 2025 and 532 arrests between January and May this year.
Despite Rift Valley leading in both seizures and arrests, Lagat said the declining numbers point to gains made in the fight against illicit alcohol.
“Rift Valley is very expensive and close to the borders where this smuggling happens, but we are happy there is a decline in numbers over the last two years,” said Lagat while appearing before the committee on behalf of the Inspector General of Police.
The Rift Valley region has long been a hotspot for illicit alcohol due to its vast geography, porous borders and extensive transport networks that facilitate the movement of contraband products.
The trade has repeatedly been linked to deaths, blindness, addiction and social disruption, prompting successive government crackdowns.
However, Lagat cautioned that the problem remains widespread and appears to be shifting to other parts of the country.
Mairori said Nacada is fully committed to working hand-in-hand with the clergy to reclaim our children and restore the moral fabric of our nation.
The new alliance, he said, will intensify crackdowns on illicit brew dens and dangerous alcohol supply chains across the region.
Beyond the drug fight, the clergy pledged to champion national cohesion, reject ethnic politics that fuel division, and confront the crisis of school unrest.
In a statement, they called on parents, teachers, and faith institutions to restore discipline and safety in learning institutions.
“Together with government, faith, families, schools, and communities, we will protect our young people, uphold peace, and rebuild this nation,” said Mairori.
His sentiments were echoed by Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, who warned that no administrative boundary will shield traffickers.
“This is not a war we can leave to the police alone. The clergy, parents, teachers, and every citizen must rise. We are going after the cartels poisoning our children with the ruthlessness they deserve,” he said.