Former Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has put alcohol control at the centre of his proposed administration, promising to restrict bar operations to evening hours and shut down 55 outlets he says are involved in selling unregulated liquor.
Gachagua made the proposal on Friday, September 25, 2026, while speaking to Kenyans in the diaspora in Texas, where he raised concern over what he described as the growing culture of daytime drinking in the country.
He said bars would only be permitted to operate between 5pm and 11pm if he takes over the presidency, arguing that allowing drinking establishments to remain open throughout the day was contributing to wider social and economic problems.
“We will regulate drinking hours. How can we have a country where people are drinking all day? Kenya has become a drinking nation. When I take over, bars will only be allowed to operate from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.”
Gachagua also announced plans to close 55 bars that he said were selling unregulated alcohol.
He linked the sale and consumption of illicit liquor to deaths reported in parts of the Mt Kenya region, particularly among young people.
His comments came as concern over suspected illicit alcohol continued to grow following deaths reported in Lari, Kimende and other parts of Kiambu County.
“The situation currently in Mt Kenya is worrying,” he said, adding that during his tenure as the country’s second-in-command, he had managed to contain the spread of illicit alcohol and make it largely a thing of the past.
Gachagua claimed that the situation changed after he left office, saying the problem had returned and grown.
Gachagua recalls Embu visit
The Democracy for Citizens leader also recalled an incident in Embu that he said demonstrated the extent of alcohol abuse in the country.
He said he had gone to address residents and was shocked to find that by 10am, about half of those gathered were already drunk.
Gachagua said the experience affected him so much that he went back to his car and wept.
He further claimed that the widespread drinking was taking place with the knowledge of influential people.
According to Gachagua, the pattern of alcohol consumption has also shifted from the traditional practice of drinking after work or during weekends.
He said some people were now drinking during working hours, a trend he linked to reduced productivity.
His remarks followed an incident in Kimende, Kiambu County, where three people died while two others were left in critical condition after consuming suspected second-generation alcohol at a local pub.
Several other people had been drinking at the same establishment, where the alcohol was suspected to have been made and distributed to different outlets within the town.
An exhibit believed to be suspected second-generation alcohol was seized from the premises on Monday, September 21, 2026.