Nacada officer during the crackdown./HANDOUT
In a dramatic effort to rein in the growing menace of drug abuse and illicit alcohol in Nairobi, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) launched a high-intensity crackdown in Dagoretti Sub-County on Monday evening.
The operation, led by Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Nicholas Kosgei, unfolded in Mutuini’s Ndonyo Market at around 4:00 PM.
Backed by 15 officers and armed with intelligence, SSP Kosgei and his team stormed four locations suspected to be chang’aa brewing dens—long believed to be fueling addiction and crime in the area.
But the targets appeared to have slipped through the net.
“The operators were either tipped off or had already fled,” said a source close to the operation.
Nacada officer during the crackdown./HANDOUT
Acting on further intelligence, the team pivoted quickly to a well-known drug hotspot located near a railway line.
There, they encountered a large group of young men openly using narcotics. As the officers moved in, panic erupted.
Caught off guard, the youth scattered, disappearing into nearby shanties and open fields.
In the chaos, they abandoned a three-quarter sack of what police suspect to be cannabis. The enforcement team secured the stash, but tensions boiled over.
Moments later, the officers came under attack. A group of angry youths returned, pelting the team and their vehicle with stones.
Though no injuries were reported, the officers were forced to retreat to prevent further violence.
Nacada officer during the crackdown./HANDOUT
“We will not allow drug traffickers and illicit brewers to destroy our youth,” Kosgei said. “This operation sends a strong message—we are watching, and we will strike without warning.”
The recovered exhibit was taken to the exhibit store at Jogoo Road Police Station, and a formal report was filed at Riruta Police Station.
For residents of Mutuini, who have for years decried the unchecked drug use and illegal brewing in their community, the operation was a long-awaited sign of action.
Many have watched helplessly as local youth fell deeper into addiction, with little to no intervention from authorities—until now.
Nacada's crackdown is being hailed as a critical first step in reclaiming the neighborhood from criminal grip.
The authority has vowed that this will not be a one-off event but the beginning of a sustained campaign across Nairobi.
