Nacada must eradicate illicit brew menace

The proposal by a parliamentary committee to dissolve the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) board chaired by John Mututho is laudable.

The agency seems to be in deep slumber. It is saddening that sale of second generation liquor is still wrecking the lives of many people in this country despite President Uhuru Kenyatta having issued a decree mid this year to end illegal brews.

Statistics on deaths emanating from illicit brews since the presidential decree hardly make scintillating reading. In fact, disheartening stories continue to hit headlines everyday.

It is not uncommon nowadays to see men and women in a drunken stupor, behaving like zombies or buffoons, especially in Central region.

Needless to say, illicit brews and drunkenness have negatively contributed to alarming rates of poverty, broken marriages, joblessness and truancy in schools.

Even worse, police officers and county administrators have made illicit brews their cash cow thus becoming a monstrous impediment to the fight against second generation alcoholic drinks.

The time to eradicate the problem of illicit brew is now.

Nacada should wake up from its deep slumber or else be dissolved immediately.

The time to walk the talk is now. Prevention is better than cure.