Former NACADA chairman John Mututho has claimed that there is no genuine vodka in Kenya, as debate over the country’s fake alcohol crisis continues.
Speaking during an interview on NTV, Mututho said alcoholic drinks sold as vodka in Kenya must meet internationally accepted standards before they can genuinely be described as vodka.
“There’s no genuine vodka in Kenya. If you want to sell vodka, then you must conform to the internationally accepted standards of vodka,” Mututho said.
Mututho further claimed that a significant amount of industrial ethanol used in the production of alcoholic drinks consumed in Kenya is imported by one company.
“All alcohol (industrial ethanol) consumed in Kenya is imported by one company to a level of 80%,” he claimed.
According to the former NACADA boss, the industrial ethanol is then distributed to various manufacturers, who use it to produce different alcoholic drinks.
He alleged that some manufacturers dilute the ethanol with water, add different flavours and package the products under different brand names.
“I have said it before. There is no original vodka in Kenya,” Mututho reiterated.
His remarks come amid renewed concerns over the sale and consumption of counterfeit and substandard alcoholic drinks in the country, with questions being raised about the quality, regulation and sources of alcohol products available in the Kenyan market.
Mututho’s claims have added to the ongoing debate on the need for tighter regulation and enforcement of standards in the alcohol industry.
