President Paul Kagame has spoken out on the recent crackdown on illicit and substandard alcoholic drinks, saying the government cannot stand by while unsafe products continue to cause deaths. Kagame made the remarks on Monday, August 24, during the press conference that took place three weeks after more than 140 breweries and distilleries have been closed and hundreds of alcohol brands were recalled. ALSO READ: Products worth Rwf2.6bn seized as crackdown on illicit alcohol widens “There are drinks that people consume that are killing them, and the evidence is clear: these drinks are causing deaths,” Kagame said. He added business operations cannot be protected at the expense of people's lives. This is as health authorities have reported at least 50 deaths and 100 injuries linked to alcohol consumption since the beginning of 2026. “Do we want factories and the workers in those factories to be harmed by what is produced there? Or do we want factories to produce what is needed, for people to transport and sell those products, and for them to be able to return home and consume them without fear of dying?” he said. ALSO READ: Experts: Illicit alcohol crackdown should go beyond enforcement He also pointed to the risks posed by products brought into the country from abroad. Importation of over 50 brands of alcoholic beverages have also been put under temporary suspension. “Some of these drinks that are killing people are not even produced here. They come from outside the country and are brought in without meeting the required quality standards, some can kill people immediately, others kill after a week, and others after a year,” he said. The crackdown has also turned the spotlight on institutions responsible for regulating the safety and quality of alcoholic beverages. On August 13, Rwanda National Police and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau presented 17 public officials suspected of involvement in the production and distribution of substandard alcoholic beverages. They included 10 Rwanda FDA employees, three Rwanda Standards Board employees and local government officials. Kagame said the agencies responsible for quality control were established precisely to prevent dangerous products from reaching consumers. “That is why those responsible for quality control were put in place, to ensure that these products do not cause all these problems. I believe some of them may have played a role in what is happening,” he said. “They could have been involved in these factories, or the factory owners may have made them turned a blind eye, allowing the products to reach the market and ultimately kill people. But that is my assessment. They are the ones to provide the answers,” he said. Kagame said the problem extends beyond illicit alcohol to other substances and products that are harmful to public health, including drugs. “We have been talking for some time about drugs and alcoholic drinks. People even sing about them and give them names, yet they are killing people, including young people. The country cannot simply watch as people die,” he said. He rejected the idea that authorities should wait until more people demand action before intervening. “You do not wait for someone to ask why people are dying before you act. The question we should be asking is why products that are killing people are being allowed to circulate,” he said. Kagame said the government would continue confronting businesses and individuals involved in practices that endanger public health. “There are no favourites in this matter. We are confronting those involved, and things are being put in order as they should be. Those who know what is required will comply. But those who bring practices and ways of doing business that kill people will face action.” He also dismissed concerns that enforcement should be softened simply because some people question how suspects are being arrested or investigated. “If those procedures are not being carried out properly, the responsible institutions should correct them. But that should not distract us from confronting the things that need to be confronted,” he said. The government's campaign has already resulted in large quantities of illicit and substandard beverages being seized and destroyed across the country.
