Rwanda’s Food and Drugs Authority (Rwanda FDA) has suspended the importation of 52 spirit brands and ordered their immediate recall from the market as part of measures aimed at protecting public health.
In a public notice issued on Aug. 5, the regulator directed importers, wholesalers and retailers to stop importing, distributing and selling the affected products with immediate effect. Consumers were also advised to stop drinking the listed spirits.
Rwanda FDA instructed importers to begin collecting the products from distributors and wholesalers across the country and ensure they are returned to importers’ warehouses. The authority said importers must submit a report on the recall within three working days of the notice, detailing the products recovered from the market.
Wholesalers and retailers were also ordered to halt the distribution and sale of the listed spirit brands and return any remaining stock to importers without delay.
The regulator warned that failure to comply with the directive would result in enforcement measures in accordance with applicable regulations.
Rwanda FDA also ordered the removal of all advertisements and promotional materials related to the affected brands. It said another list of spirit brands subject to the temporary import suspension will be published in the future.
The suspended products include spirits imported from Uganda, Tanzania, Kenya, Burundi, India and Poland. Among the brands listed are Bond 7, Kiwingu Spirit, Konyagi, Diamond Rock Gin and Gilbey’s Flavored Gin, along with dozens of others.
The latest action forms part of Rwanda’s broader campaign to protect public health and curb unauthorized alcoholic drinks. Authorities have shut down 136 factories producing unauthorized alcoholic beverages within the country and have begun destroying ethanol used in their production. About 470,000 liters of ethanol have already been collected in Kigali and are scheduled for destruction.
According to Rwanda FDA, harmful alcoholic drinks have continued to pose a serious public health challenge. The authority said that over the past seven months, 50 people have died and another 100 have lost their sight as a result of consuming such products.
Rwanda FDA said the temporary suspension takes immediate effect and applies to all products included on the published list.
