Two security officers are among 15 people arrested while drinking palm wine at a den in Kilifi.
The 15 were arrested on Saturday evening when police officers acting on a tip raided a mnazi drinking den in Kiwandani where over 200 people had converged to drink the local wine.
The two officers are an officer from Masii police station in Machakos county and a prison warder from Shimo la Tewa GK Prison in Mombasa county.
It was not yet known how they came to Kilifi county during this time when movement into the county is restricted.
On Sunday, Kilifi Governor Amason Kingi and county commissioner Magu Mutindika said the 15 will be arraigned and taken to forced quarantine at the Kenya Medical Training College Kilifi campus at their cost.
“Yesterday, we busted over 200 people drinking mnazi and, as you know, while drinking mnazi people share goblets and straws. We closed all drinking dens to make sure people do not converge in large numbers. We will take them to forced quarantine for 14 days at their own cost. We will then test them. The government will not pay anything,” Kingi said.
Mutindika said after quarantine is over, the security officers will face disciplinary action.
Kingi further directed that all burial functions within the county must be supervised by police officers.
“We have realised that most people are not heeding our orders that burials should be attended by only 15 people. People still attend burials in large numbers. From today going forward there is no family that will be allowed to move a body of their loved one from any mortuary in the county without the escort of police officers. The police officers will also make sure not more than 15 people attend the burial,” Kingi said.
Edited by Henry Makori
