Police arrest 6 in Kiharu villages ravaged by brews, locals say it is not enough

Police in Murang'a have arrested six people found in possession of illicit brew.

Deputy county commissioner Fredrick Muli said police officers raided Gituri village on March 18 and arrested three people who were found in possession of 505 litres of matinga brew and 150gm of bhang.

This was a day after journalists stormed Mukangu in Kahuro and exposed homes that were being used to brew and sell illicit liquor.

Last Sunday, police officers from Kirogo police station also raided Mukangai village where one person was arrested and 120 litres of the brew confiscated.

The suspect was taken to court on Monday and was fined Sh20,000 or five months in jail.

Muli said the suspect could not raise the fine and is serving jail term at King’ong’o Prison.

On Thursday, yet another raid was conducted in Gachuku village and two suspects were arrested with 60 litres of matinga.

The suspects are facing charges at Murang’a law courts.

Muli said consumption of illicit brews only serves to destroy a community and has caused numerous deaths countrywide.

“We see in the media every day how youth overindulge in alcohol and ruin their lives yet areas such as Murang’a are productive and have lots of work that the youth could engage in,” he said.

The most problematic area in the subcounty is Mukangu village, Muli said. 

But residents said although the effort being made by the government is notable, it is not enough to deter the notorious brewers who have continued with their trade unperturbed.

Ithirianga and Gathundia villages have lost five men aged between 40 and 50 years to the brews since December last year.

Sammy Thuo, a resident of Ithirianga village, said four more people have lost their lives in the two villages in the last one week and wondered why the police are yet to focus their raids in the two areas.

Thuo said illicit brew continues to rip apart families by killing men and rendering others unproductive and dependent on their wives or parents.

This has in turn caused many women to leave their matrimonial homes as the men resort to selling livestock to fuel their drinking.

Such is the case of Alice Nyambura who lost her husband Benson Njeru on February 17 after he fell ill during a drinking spree in one of the dens.

Nyambura said Njeru had developed complications earlier and had started coughing blood, which he refused to have addressed by doctors.

By the time Njeru died, Nyambura had long left him and relocated from the village to Kabete in Kiambu.

This is because despite being a mason, Njeru did not contribute to the upbringing of their three children and ended up selling all the livestock to raise money to drink.

Nyambura only went back to her matrimonial home after Njeru passed away.

Thuo said such stories are replicated in the two villages, as many now depend on their mothers after spending all their time and money in the drinking dens.

The brews are made in five homes that are well-known. When journalists visited the dens, countless men were found imbibing openly, confirming locals’ concerns that the brewers conduct their trade confidently.

As early as 6am, men start arriving at the dens and are served with fried black beans that they buy for Sh30 per small pack.

“It is so saddening that the vice is weakening and killing men who otherwise had bright futures,” Thuo told The Star.

He said one of the latest men to be claimed by liquor was a boda boda operator known as Leon.

Leon was a social person and seemingly healthy until he decided to engage in a drinking spree at Mukangu shopping centre.

Leon allegedly consumed bottled liquor and was competing with a friend on who would consume the most glasses.

After only three glasses, Leon felt weak and laid down for what his friends thought was a normal nap. However, one of the residents realised he was frothing in the mouth.

He was rushed to Mukangu Dispensary and they were referred to Murang’a Level 5 Hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.

Thuo said most illicit liquor traders have compromised local security officers.

But asked why the police raids were yet to be targeted at the two villages, the deputy county commissioner said such operations require intricate planning and the security team has to have information on the availability of the brews for the raid to be successful.

Muli vowed to have all the villages raided, saying there is a possibility of the brewers relocating to other areas.

“They will have to give it up. We will be re-arresting them every time they are released or when they pay the fines. I want to assure residents that the administration will provide a conducive environment for them to engage in their normal economic activities without the nuisance of illicit liquor,” he said.

He urged residents to continue volunteering information to aid their operations, saying they can send anonymous text messages detailing where and when the brews are sold.

Edited by A.N