Busia public health officers are demanding a more significant role in liquor licensing to combat illicit alcohol. This comes after the Busia County Government signed a recognition agreement with the Kenya Environmental Health and Public Health Practitioners Union (KEHPHPU).

• Public health officers want to be central to assessing premises and applicants before liquor licenses are issued.
• KEHPHPU Secretary-General Brown Ashira highlighted the critical role of public health officers in disease prevention and community protection in a border county.
• The union has suspended a planned strike, opting for dialogue to resolve grievances, and urged the county to prioritize hiring more public health officers.