Kenyan distiller gives senators 48 hours to retract claims as alcohol checks widen

A Kenyan drinks manufacturer has given two senators 48 hours to withdraw allegations that it produces illicit alcohol and is linked to Deputy President Kithure Kindiki. Patiala Distillers K Limited says the claims misrepresent its business and products. According to Nation Africa Kenya (direct), the company is demanding an apology and warning of legal action as authorities prepare another round of checks on alcohol factories.

The demands target John Methu, the senator for Nyandarua, and Karungo Thang’wa, who represents Kiambu. The company says the politicians made the allegations at rallies in the Mt Kenya region, with their remarks then spreading widely on social media. Its lawyers have asked both senators to stop making statements linking Patiala’s products to illicit beer production or to Kindiki, and to retract their claims within the deadline.

A manufacturer pushes back

Patiala’s legal representatives, Brian Murithi, Danstan Omari and Stanley Kinyanjui, rejected any connection between the company and the deputy president. They said its directors and shareholders are recorded at the Registrar of Companies. The denial covers both direct involvement and arrangements involving agents or proxies—people acting on someone else’s behalf. Murithi also said the business has no association with any political grouping.

Patiala says Kindiki is neither a shareholder nor a director, including through agents or proxies, according to its legal representative Brian Murithi.

The lawyers’ demand letter calls on the senators to stop publishing, repeating or endorsing claims that Kindiki owns, controls, runs or finances Patiala. The company also warned that politicians and other individuals who continue associating its name with counterfeit or illicit alcohol could face legal action. Its response seeks to challenge both the alleged political connection and the allegations about the nature of its products.

Patiala maintains that it is licensed to manufacture alcohol in Kenya and that its drinks meet regulatory requirements. Its quality assurance officer, Mugiira Withiga, asked consumers to distinguish the company’s genuine products from counterfeit drinks carrying similar branding. He said authentic Patiala products have standardised physical and chemical characteristics approved by government agencies. The company urged customers to report suspicious drinks or outlets to it or to enforcement authorities.

Fresh inspections raise the stakes

The dispute comes during a renewed government campaign against illicit and counterfeit alcohol. The source report links that campaign to concerns over deaths and illnesses associated with unsafe drinks in parts of Mt Kenya. Patiala says it supports efforts to remove counterfeit and dangerous alcohol from the market, while insisting that its own legally manufactured products should not be treated as illicit drinks.

Kindiki has ordered fresh inspections of alcohol manufacturing premises nationwide. The checks are expected to cover businesses that already have valid licences, with officials examining health, safety, quality and other regulatory requirements. He has said manufacturers producing drinks that endanger consumers could be closed, making the inspection drive a concern for licensed operators as well as those accused of illegal production.

The next developments to watch are whether the senators retract their statements within Patiala’s 48-hour window and whether the company follows through on its legal warning. Alongside that dispute, the nationwide inspections will test manufacturers’ compliance even where they already hold permission to operate.