The Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission (EACC) has weighed in on the ongoing crackdown on sale of illicit and second generation alcoholic drinks in the country.

The agency has called out public officials in the multi-agency vetting team (KRA, KEBS, Police, NACADA, County, ACA, NGAO etc), accusing them of turning the suitability vetting of bars into an extortion syndicate thus compromising the Government efforts in addressing the menace. 

Speaking at Kagio in Kirinyaga on Saturday, EACC spokesperson Eric Ngumbi said that the commission is in receipt of reports that some officials are compromising the vetting exercise by demanding or accepting bribes in order to pardon or waive enforcement action against bar operators who have not complied with the regulations against illicit or second hand generation alcoholic drinks.

EACC has since warned that any official sabotaging the government initiative through corruption will be firmly dealt with, noting that senior government officials leading the exercise have a responsibility for ensuring that the vetting is undertaken with integrity, transparency, accountability and free of corruption. 

Similarly, the Commission expects the traders to strictly comply with the set regulations and desist from the culture of offering bribes in a bid to escape scrutiny.

“They should comply with the regulations and report to EACC any public official attempting to extort money from them,” Ngumbi said.

He also singled out corruption and conflict of interest among enforcement officers operating bars as a major contributor to the deep rooted menace of alcoholism in the country, and urged the National Assembly to prioritize finalization of the Conflict of Interest Bill currently before House to address situations where public officials engage in the same businesses that they are supposed to regulate.