Rwanda closes 8 liquor firms as campaign against alcohol abuse intensifies

What the report says

Rwanda’s Food and Drugs Authority has shut down eight liquor factories, saying the action was taken in the interest of public health as Kigali steps up efforts to reduce alcohol abuse, especially among young people. According to the report published by The Independent Uganda and based on Xinhua, the regulator said the factories’ manufacturing licenses were revoked after inspections and compliance checks.

Among the companies named were Ingufu Gin Ltd, which makes 10 liquor products, and NBG Ltd, which has six products under different brand names. The authority also instructed the affected firms to recall products already on the market and file recall reports within three working days. Distributors and retailers were told to stop selling and moving the products immediately and return unsold stock to suppliers.

The shutdown fits into a broader national campaign by the Rwandan government to curb drinking. The Ministry of Health recently launched the “Tunywe Less” campaign, aimed at encouraging reduced alcohol use. Health Minister Sabin Nsanzimana has previously linked heavy drinking to non-communicable diseases, including some cancers.

The article also cited a Rwanda Biomedical Center survey indicating that alcohol consumption rose from 41% in 2013 to 48% in 2022. That trend helps explain why authorities are treating alcohol regulation as a public health issue rather than only a licensing matter.