Busia public health officers seek bigger say in liquor licensing to curb illicit drinks

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Busia public health officers are seeking a greater role in the issuance of liquor licences, arguing that closer involvement of health experts would help curb the spread of illicit and potentially dangerous alcoholic drinks.

The call came as the Busia County Government signed a recognition agreement with the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU), creating a formal framework for engagement between the union and the county administration.

Busia Deputy Governor and County Executive Committee Member for Health Arthur Odera said the agreement would allow public health officers to formally raise workplace concerns and take part in county planning and service delivery.

Odera said the framework would also provide a legally recognised channel through which the union and county government can resolve disputes affecting health workers.

He noted that some of the challenges affecting the health sector were deeply rooted and could not be resolved by counties alone.

“A lot of the issues related to the challenges affecting the health sector, including strikes, are legacy issues, some of which date back to 2007,” Odera said.

He attributed some of the challenges to inadequate staffing, limited resources, lack of equipment and shortages of essential commodities required by health workers.

Odera also expressed concern over the continued manufacture and distribution of illicit alcohol in Busia, warning that the trade posed a serious threat to public health.

He said public health officers were collaborating with security agencies to identify and shut down illegal alcohol operations, urging authorities to take action against known offenders.

“If the situation is not quickly handled, it is endangering the lives of our people,” he said.

KEHPHPU Secretary-General Brown Ashira said public health officers were at the frontline in preventing diseases and protecting communities, particularly in a border county such as Busia.

Ashira said officers were responsible for critical preventive health functions, including food safety, disease surveillance and inspection of facilities and activities that could expose residents to health risks.

“The health challenges the county is exposed to by virtue of being a border county require us to protect our community,” he said.

Ashira further disclosed that the planned strike by public health officers in Busia had been suspended, saying the union had opted to pursue dialogue in resolving workers’ grievances.

“We are a union that believes in negotiations rather than going to the streets,” he said.

He asked the county government to prioritise recruitment of additional public health officers in the next financial year, arguing that preventive services were essential to reducing the burden on health facilities.

The union official also criticised the current system of issuing liquor licences, claiming that some committees were approving licences without adequate understanding of public health requirements.

He called for the Directorate of Public Health to be given a central role in assessing premises and applicants before liquor licences are issued.

Ashira also urged the Ministry of Interior and security agencies to intensify action against businesses involved in the manufacture and sale of illicit alcohol, saying stronger enforcement was needed to protect residents from harmful products.