Residents of Murera village in Juja, Kiambu County, have called for the transfer of long-serving police officers who are allegedly impeding the fight against the sale of illegal alcohol.
The residents claimed that the officers were fuelling and abetting the brewing of the illicit alcohol and sale of counterfeit liquor brands.
They decried the rampant trade in illicit and adulterated liquor, proliferation of counterfeit alcohol brands and mushrooming of unlicensed liquor outlets and urged the government to take swift action.
Gerald Kibe, who led the residents, lamented that criminals in the business have devised new tactics to evade police arrest, including distilling the counterfeit brands inside unsuspected high-end palatial houses.
He added that some people have converted old factories into clandestine distilleries.
“This illegal business is being carried out in palatial homes which are fenced and highly guarded. We usually see a few people and vehicles move in and out of the homes. We are worried that this business is being fuelled by some individuals who are working in cahoots with unscrupulous police officers,” Kibe said.
Former Murera MCA John Wokabi rooted for concerted efforts in the fight against the outlawed business.
Wokabi urged police to begin destroying seized counterfeit alcohol brands in public to avoid the possibility of it being sneaked back to the brewing business by rogue officers.
“We are demanding that the ethanol and all counterfeit illicit liquor that has been nabbed in this region be destroyed in broad daylight in full glare of members of the public. Our worry is that some rogue cops might sneak it out for resale to innocent villagers,” Wokabi said.
He made the remarks days after police seized over 8,000 litres of industrial ethanol in the area that is suspected to have been stored for use in the making of counterfeit drinks.
The ethanol, which is a major ingredient in the manufacture of most alcohol in the market, was netted at a palatial home in Mugutha village.
Inside the buildings where the ethanol, packed in 35 drums each carrying a capacity of 250 litres, was an abandoned macadamia factory.
Kiambu County police commander Michael Muchiri said the recovered ethanol totalled 8,750 litres which would have generated alcoholic products worth over Sh70 million.
He said that persons behind the storage of the ethanol could be criminals seeking to aid in the manufacture of counterfeit alcohol.
Elder Kagwi wa Kairia noted that area residents were working closely with the authorities in the fight against the illegal business by providing crucial information that has led to dismantling of cartels which have been perpetrating the crimes.
“We actually have a new OCS [officer commanding police station] who is very dedicated to this fight but we want the cops who have served in this place for many years to be moved before they corrupt the good officer. We strongly believe that the vice has been rampant in our village because those behind the illegal trade have protection from some police officers,” Kairia said.
Last month, over 20 people died after consuming ethanol-laced alcohol in Kirinyaga county.
