President Paul Kagame has vowed that Rwanda will intensify its crackdown on substandard alcoholic beverages, insisting that protecting public health must take precedence over the interests of businesses producing unsafe products.
Kagame made the remarks on Monday, August 24, 2026, during a press conference in Kigali, where he was asked about the government’s ongoing campaign against substandard alcohol and the closure of facilities found producing it.
The President questioned concerns over losses suffered by manufacturers and their employees, arguing that the health and lives of consumers should be the priority.
“Are we looking for industries and workers in those industries who will be killed by what is produced in those industries?” Kagame asked.
He said the debate should focus on the consequences of unsafe alcoholic products on public health rather than the economic losses resulting from the closure of facilities that produce them.
Kagame also criticised those defending the affected businesses without considering consumers who could be harmed by their products.
“I don’t understand someone who supports them and thinks about the industries, thinks about the people working in those industries, while leaving out those who are being killed day after day,” he said.
The President described the crackdown as a fight his government is determined to pursue and warned those involved that authorities would remain firm.
“In this fight, those who hear me or those involved should expect us to confront them,” Kagame said.
Rwanda has recently stepped up inspections and enforcement against illicit and substandard alcoholic beverages, including measures targeting facilities found operating outside required standards.
Kagame said the measures are ultimately aimed at protecting the health and lives of Rwandans, even where enforcement has economic consequences for businesses and their employees.
