Rwanda Shuts Down 101 More Alcohol Factories Amid Growing Safety Concerns

Kigali, August 3, 2026 - Rwanda’s Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) has closed 101 additional factories producing fermented alcoholic beverages and revoked their operating licenses, expanding a nationwide crackdown on drinks considered unsafe or illegally produced.

In a notice issued on August 3, the regulator ordered the immediate withdrawal from the market of all beverages manufactured by the affected facilities. Producers have been instructed to contact distributors and retailers to collect the products already on sale, recover remaining stock and return all collected beverages to their respective production sites. Manufacturers must submit reports detailing the collection process to the Rwanda FDA within three working days.

Distributors and retailers have also been ordered to immediately stop selling or distributing the listed products and return any remaining stock to their suppliers. Consumers have been urged to stop consuming the affected beverages, while the agency warned that failure to comply with the directives could lead to additional legal and regulatory action.

The Rwanda FDA further ordered the removal of all signs and advertisements promoting the affected fermented beverage factories across the country. It clarified that alcoholic beverages produced by the listed factories must also be withdrawn even if a particular product does not appear individually on the published list.

The latest measures follow the closure of eight other fermented beverage factories on August 2, including Ingufu Gin Ltd and NBG Ltd. The government has intensified inspections of alcohol producers amid concerns over the health consequences of illicit and substandard beverages.

The crackdown comes after reports that unsafe alcohol consumption has contributed to about 50 deaths and around 100 cases of serious health complications, including blindness, over the past seven months. The Rwanda FDA said additional establishments could face sanctions as inspections and compliance operations continue nationwide.