Kitui Governor Julius Malombe has officially launched a crackdown on the county’s runaway alcohol industry, setting up powerful County and Sub-County Alcoholic Drinks Control Committees to bring order to the chaos.
Formalized under Gazette Notice No. 4782 of April 2025, the new battalions of regulators are armed with the authority to police the production, sale, and consumption of alcohol across Kitui — balancing the critical mission of protecting lives while keeping county revenue flowing.
Sounding the alarm on a looming crisis, Governor Malombe warned of the devastating health and social risks posed by rampant alcohol abuse, vowing to protect Kitui’s future generations by enforcing strict legal drinking age limits and kicking liquor outlets out of school neighborhoods.
“We will not allow bars to sprout next to learning institutions! The law is clear — no liquor outlet should be within 300 metres of any school!” thundered the Governor, citing the tough Mututho Laws and Kitui’s own Alcoholic Drinks Control Act.
Shockingly, a county audit for the year ending December 31, 2024, uncovered a worrying trend: of the 2,208 alcohol outlets in Kitui, a staggering 1,361 are operating illegally — more than half running without licenses!
Determined to reverse the tide, Governor Malombe placed his faith in the newly constituted committees, who are tasked with weeding out illegal bars, tightening licensing regimes, and safeguarding public health.
At the helm of this new alcohol task force is Mr. Stanley Tito Kilonzi, a former County Police Commander wielding the full force of law enforcement experience, leading the nine-member County Committee alongside eight sub-county squads, each armed with seven vigilant members ready to storm the field.
“We must protect our minors and communities from the deadly grip of illicit brews!” declared Malombe, issuing a rallying call to the committee members to wage an unrelenting war against illegal alcohol across the county.
The message from Kitui’s leadership is clear: the era of rogue drinking dens is coming to a brutal end.
