Murkomen Told to Legalise Chang’aa as Siaya Chief Claims It’s Safer Than Imported Spirits
A heated debate broke out in Siaya County on Wednesday, September 17, 2025 after Assistant Chief Nicholas Awuor asked Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen to consider legalising chang’aa.
Speaking during Jukwaa la Usalama Siaya chapter, Awuor made a case for lifting the ban, saying chang’aa when regulated is less harmful than the imported spirits in the Kenyan market.
“Our CS, Governor Orengo, and all protocols were observed. My name is Nicholas Awuor, assistant chief, Malanga Division, North Gem location, Yala sub-county,” he began. “As a team we have worked tirelessly and found out that 60 per cent of alcohol being taken in Kenya is still illicit despite all the efforts put into this fight.”
According to Awuor, the danger is not in chang’aa itself but in the lack of oversight. He compared it to imported spirits which he said are more dangerous than the traditional brew.
“Sir, chang’aa in itself is not the problem. The illicit thing in it is that it’s not regulated. But comparing chang’aa with the spirits we have that come from Uganda, the second-generation brews, those ones are the most lethal,” he said.
A Case for Regulation
The assistant chief proposed that the government explore new ways of handling chang’aa beyond penalties and crackdowns. He said establishing regulated distillation and packaging would not only make it safer but formalise it into a viable industry.
“We want to see if there are other ways of dealing with chang’aa apart from the penal way. I am sure if we provide resources whereby distillation is regulated, packaging is regulated, so that we can have chang’aa from Siaya being sold to other parts of the country. We will create jobs just like Keroche Industries. Chang’aa is made of unga, wheat and sugar,” he explained.
Jobs and Revenue
Awuor said legalisation could turn chang’aa into a revenue generating product and create jobs for many Kenyans. He pointed to industries like Keroche Breweries as an example of how regulated local products can contribute to the economy.But not everyone was convinced. Some leaders and residents present agreed with him but others said chang’aa should remain banned due to its link to addiction, broken families and past fatalities.
Now it’s up to the national government to weigh the cultural, health and economic implications of legalising one of Kenya’s most divisive brews.
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Murkomen Told to Legalise Chang’aa as Siaya Chief Claims It’s Safer Than Imported Spirits