Rwanda’s Minister of Health, Dr Sabin Nsanzimana, said preliminary figures showed that the number of people seeking medical treatment for injuries sustained in fights linked to substandard alcoholic drinks had fallen by nearly 80% following government measures to restrict the products.
The minister made the remarks during discussions with members of the National Consultative Forum of Political Organisations (NFPO), which focused on efforts to stop the production and distribution of alcoholic beverages that fail safety standards.
According to the Rwandan news outlet Umunota, Nsanzimana explained that the impact of the drinks had become increasingly evident in health facilities, where patients were being treated for injuries sustained during fights involving people who had consumed them.
“At health facilities, the number of people coming in after being stabbed or injured in fights involving these drinks has fallen by nearly 80%,” he said.
Nsanzimana said health authorities were continuing to collect data to compare with records from the Rwanda National Police and the Rwanda Investigation Bureau (RIB) to determine whether cases of assault and other violent offences had also declined.
Some residents said the restrictions had brought noticeable changes to their communities, particularly in household spending and behaviour among people who previously consumed excessive amounts of alcohol.
Umurerwa Speciose said money that had previously been spent on alcoholic drinks was increasingly being used to purchase clothing and basic household necessities.
She explained that some families were beginning to experience improvements in their daily lives, including having more money available for food.
Kamonyo Straton, a resident of Gasabo District, also reported changes in public behaviour, saying excessive drinking had become less visible in his community.
He said people attending meetings in the area had previously encountered many intoxicated residents, but the situation had since improved.
During the discussions, Nsanzimana revealed that more than 250 factories had been producing substandard alcoholic drinks in Rwanda, while over 200 additional investors had applied to the Rwanda Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) for permission to establish similar production facilities.
The figures raised concerns among members of the forum, who questioned how such a large number of producers had been able to operate despite regulations governing the quality and safety of alcoholic beverages.
Mukama Abbas, the Deputy Ombudsman in charge of Preventing and Fighting Corruption, called for investigations into how the factories had obtained authorisation and continued operating.
He raised the possibility that corruption could have contributed to weaknesses in regulatory inspections.
“There could even have been corruption,” he said, questioning why the situation had been allowed to develop without sufficient oversight.
Abbas welcomed the government’s measures against substandard alcoholic drinks but urged authorities to maintain enforcement efforts to prevent the problem from recurring.
Senate Vice President Alvera Mukabaramba also expressed concern about the number of factories involved, saying the situation demonstrated the need for stronger inspections and more rigorous procedures when granting production licences.
She called on the responsible institutions to strengthen their oversight of alcohol manufacturers to ensure that products entering the market meet the required safety standards.
RADIOTV10