NAIROBI, Kenya, Jan 4 — Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has issued a stern warning to individuals involved in the distribution of illegal drugs and adulterated ethanol, saying the government is intensifying its crackdown on the trade as part of a renewed push to curb substance abuse.Speaking during a farewell and engagement ceremony for Sandra Chebichii, the daughter of Moiben MP Phyllis Bartoo and High Court Judge Joseph Sergon, in Kimumu, Uasin Gishu County, Murkomen said 2026 would mark a turning point in the fight against drug and substance abuse.“This is the year we are liberating our youth from the yoke of drug and substance abuse,” Murkomen said.“I am telling the major distributors of drugs and adulterated ethanol that your days are numbered.”The Cabinet Secretary said he would meet Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja next week to fast-track the implementation of President William Ruto’s directive to strengthen the Anti-Narcotics Unit.New DCI unit to target drug barons under Ruto’s 2026 security planThe directive, announced in the President’s New Year address, provides for the recruitment and deployment of an additional 500 police officers to boost enforcement efforts across the country.Murkomen warned that alcohol and drug abuse posed a serious threat to national development, arguing that no country could achieve first-world status while its most productive population remained trapped in addiction.Beyond enforcement, he urged county governments to take a more proactive role in rehabilitation, calling for the establishment of at least one rehabilitation centre in every county to support recovery and reintegration.He said a dual approach combining tougher law enforcement with expanded rehabilitation services was critical to safeguarding the future of Kenya’s youth and ensuring sustainable national development.