As illicit alcohol crackdown bites, families count gains

For years, much of the money Liberate Mukamazipaka earned from plaiting hair disappeared almost as quickly as she made it. Her husband would demand the money to buy Ibyuma, an illicit alcoholic drink, and other crude locally brewed spirits. When she refused, she says, he could become violent. “I never used to save because whenever I made money from plaiting hair, he would demand it. It was even hard for me to buy school materials for our children,” Mukamazipaka says. Sometimes, she recalls, her husband threatened to sell household items to raise money for alcohol. “I was always scared of him when he was drunk, and our children were also scared,” she says. Today, Mukamazipaka says, things are beginning to change. The Kabeza resident in Kanombe Sector has joined a savings group and is setting aside money she hopes to use to open a small neighbourhood shop selling charcoal and vegetables. She says the change has come as authorities intensify a nationwide crackdown on illicit and substandard alcohol. Since enforcement increased, her husband has reduced his drinking and started taking casual construction jobs. For Mukamazipaka, one of the clearest gains is financial. Money that previously went towards alcohol is increasingly staying with the family. There is also less fear at home. ALSO READ: Deadly cocktails: Inside Rwanda’s crackdown on toxic homemade brews For Jackson Ishimwe, 50, a resident of Kimironko, the hope is that the crackdown and increased attention to alcohol abuse will help families such as his recover from damage already done. His eldest son dropped out of school in Senior Two after becoming addicted to alcohol and drugs. Ishimwe says his son fell in with a group of young people who abused alcohol and other substances before eventually leaving home and abandoning his studies. “My son and his friends became addicted to spirits. I later learned that he was no longer at school. He is currently at Iwawa Rehabilitation Centre and we hope he will return home reformed,” he says. For Ishimwe, the immediate gain is the chance for his son to receive treatment and eventually rebuild his life. ALSO READ: Over 95% of youth in rehab centres linked to alcohol abuse - minister The experiences of the two families offer a glimpse into some of the changes being reported as Rwanda’s campaign against illicit alcohol gathers pace. Beyond factory closures and seizures, authorities and health officials are pointing to changes in household spending, reported violence, treatment-seeking and alcohol-related emergencies. Battery cases fall According to ACP Boniface Rutikanga, Rwanda National Police spokesperson, the nationwide crackdown has had a visible impact in areas where illicit alcohol was commonly produced, distributed or sold. The enforcement operation began on July 20, 2026, targeting the production, distribution and sale of illicit and substandard alcoholic beverages. By early August, the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority had ordered the closure of more than 130 facilities producing illicit alcoholic beverages and revoked their licences. Among the affected facilities were Ingufu Gin Ltd, NBG Ltd, SKY Drop Industries Ltd, Africana Buffalo Ltd, Nopa Company Ltd, Roots Investment Group Ltd, Rugali Agro-Processing Company and Zhonglu Industrial Liability Company Ltd. ALSO READ: Over 130 companies closed as crackdown on illicit alcohol widens Police figures also point to a decline in reported cases of battery. A total of 652 cases were recorded in July. By the end of August, the figure had fallen to 432 — a drop of 220 cases. Police say the decline may indicate a positive impact of the crackdown, although other factors could also have contributed. The figures provide an early indication of possible changes in some of the social problems associated with harmful alcohol consumption. However, the campaign is still relatively new, and it would be too early to attribute the entire decline in reported battery cases to the crackdown alone. ALSO READ: 50 in custody over illicit alcohol production, distribution More people seeking help Another effect is being seen in the health system. According to the Rwanda Biomedical Centre (RBC), the number of people with alcohol use disorder seeking mental health services at health centres and district hospitals has increased significantly. RBC attributes the rise partly to a national outreach campaign that brought alcohol-use screening closer to communities. People identified as having harmful alcohol use or dependence were referred to health facilities for treatment and support. Health officials say the increase in people seeking treatment does not necessarily mean alcohol dependence itself has risen. Rather, the outreach has helped identify people who might previously have remained outside the health system and connected them to care. ALSO READ: Illicit alcohol linked to over 40 deaths in six months, health minister says For some people with alcohol dependence, cutting down or stopping drinking can also trigger withdrawal symptoms. RBC says a small proportion of people with prolonged excessive alcohol consumption developed alcohol withdrawal symptoms and received appropriate treatment. Health officials say access to comprehensive care is expected to help reduce alcohol dependence and improve people’s physical, mental and social wellbeing. Health facilities are also reporting fewer emergency cases associated with excessive alcohol consumption. According to RBC, facilities have recorded declines in emergency presentations involving accidents, injuries and other forms of trauma, including falls, road crashes and assaults that can be associated with harmful alcohol use. Counting the gains at home For families, however, the impact is often measured differently. It can be money that is no longer being spent on alcohol. It can be fewer frightening nights at home. It can be a son entering rehabilitation after dropping out of school, or someone struggling with alcohol dependence finally being connected to treatment. For Mukamazipaka, the change is visible in what she is now able to do with her earnings. She can save. She can think about opening a small business. And with her husband drinking less, she says there is less fear in the household. For Ishimwe, the gain is less immediate but just as important. He hopes his son will return home from Iwawa Rehabilitation Centre and find his way back to a normal life. The crackdown itself is still unfolding, and it remains too early to know whether the changes being reported will last. Police figures may fluctuate. More people may seek treatment. Families affected by years of harmful drinking may need much longer to recover. For authorities, the campaign remains primarily an enforcement measure targeting the production, distribution and sale of illicit and substandard alcoholic beverages. For health officials, it has also become an opportunity to identify people with harmful alcohol use and connect them to treatment. But for families such as Mukamazipaka’s and Ishimwe’s, its significance is more personal. The gains are counted in money saved, fewer episodes of violence, people getting treatment and families beginning to rebuild lives disrupted by alcohol abuse. Those changes may ultimately prove as important as the number of factories closed or illicit drinks taken off the market.

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As illicit alcohol crackdown bites, families count gains