Illicit brewers in Kisumu have resorted to hiding the alcohol and equipment they use to make them inside swamps and dams to make it inaccessible to security officers.
This was unearthed following an operation by officers led by assistant county commissioner Jesinter Ogada in Kochieng East and West locations of Kadibo division of Nyando subcounty.
Ogada said the new tactics by the unscrupulous traders is meant to conceal and escape from the authorities undertaking a crackdown on illicit brews.
“With team work we have been able to smoke out brews such as chang'aa and Kang'ara, which were ready for sale. We are not relenting on the war on illicit brews and those involved in such business must stop or venture into other businesses‚” Ogada said.
The administrator said more than 20 people have been arrested and arraigned.
Ogada said sometimes they have to use boats and venture in hippo infested waters, to go deep or in the middle of swamps to access the brews from where they are hidden.
She said consumption of illicit brew has resulted in deaths, broken marriages and cases of school drop outs.
She appealed to members of the public to work with the police to weed out such illegal brewers.
"I am appealing to the brewers to abandon the trade and come and access women enterprise fund to help them engage in legitimate businesses. I am not stopping until the vice ends‚” Ogada said
More than 60,000 litres of Kangara, 20,000 litres of molases, 100 litres of chang'aa and brewing apparatus were destroyed.
Edited by Kiilu Damaris
