Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has urged counties to use revenue collected from bars and alcohol dens to fund various rehabilitation centres.
Gachagua made the remarks while addressing a section of county heads from Rift Valley and Central Kenya in Nakuru County on Monday morning.
"We are asking you to consider using the revenue you collect from these bars and lend a helping hand in running NACADA and also support these rehabilitation centres. This will help deal with alcohol addiction,” he said.
He was meeting regional leaders and national government officials to discuss ways how they can resolve alcoholism and drug abuse among the youth.
The deputy president referred to the revenue collected from the drinking dens as a 'sin tax' that should be used to resolve the addiction.
He added that he is not against alcohol consumption but discourages daytime drinking by reducing operating hours to have a productive workforce.
“We want governors to allow licensing of bars to be done only once a year,” he said.
The deputy head of state has also accused former President Uhuru Kenyatta’s administration of allowing alcoholism and drug abuse to spread among the young people.
"I have been accused of being paranoid of the previous administration but the truth is the situation degenerated as the previous administration watched and made no move. The level of impunity in the sale of illicit alcohol and drugs is at a level that is not acceptable anywhere in the world,” he added.
He said the former administration did nothing to stop the spread of alcoholism and drug abuse among the youth.
Adding that the previous regime also issued licenses to people who took part in the selling of illicit brews.
Gachagua however defended law enforcement officers saying that they lacked proper leadership in the fight against illicit brew.
