- Kebs move comes days after Interior CS Kithure Kindiki directed the body to ensure ethanol is denatured within 45 days.
- Criminals have been using ethanol and mixing it with some chemicals to pass it to customers as genuine alcohol.
Image: FILE
The country's standardisation body has announced tough measures to ethanol manufacturers and importers to curb its misuse as part of efforts to combat illicit brews.
In a public notice on Tuesday, the Kenya Bureau of Standards asked all ethanol manufacturers to ensure ethanol meant for industrial undergoes another extra industrial process to prevent its misuse.
The agency directed that going forward, manufacturers of ethanol destined for industrial use must ensure it is denatured before releasing it from their premises.
Denaturation is the process of adding some special chemicals to ethanol to make it taste bad and therefore unfit for drinking.
The denaturants are used in products so people, especially children, do not accidentally ingest the product.
Kebs said the order is in response to the government’s directive issued on March 6, 2024, on the eradication of illicit brews, drugs and substance abuse.
“All locally produced Ethanol and Ethanol imported into Kenya designated for industrial use shall be required to be denatured using Denatonium benzoate as a denaturant to prevent misuse,’’ Kebs said in a notice.
Denatonium benzoate is used to make ethanol smell so bad that crooks do not use the substance in the manufacture of illicit brews as people would find it difficult to drink.
Kebs said on Tuesday that manufacturers of ethanol must submit evidence of the denaturation before Ethanol destined for industrial use is released from their stores.
This will apply to locally produced ethanol and imported ones at the ports of entry into the country.
The move comes days after Interior and National Administration Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki ordered Kebs to ensure ethanol is denatured within 45 days.
The CS directed that ethanol will be marked with denatonium benzoate to prevent diversion or accidental use in alcohol manufacture.
“Kebs shall ensure that within 45 days, all industrial ethanol is denatured or marked with a denaturing agent known as denatonium benzoate; to prevent diversion or accidental use of industrial ethanol in alcohol manufacture,” Kindiki said.
The state has heightened a countrywide crackdown on illegal brews with government officials owning bars directed to close them or resign.
The crackdown followed the tragic death of over 13 individuals in Kirinyaga who died after consuming illicit brew.