Ethanol
containers
found buried
at a home in
Eldoret town
/MATHEWS
NDANYI
Police in Eldoret have seized a huge batch of illegal ethanol at a
luxury mansion, while presidential aide Farouk Kibet accused cops of colluding
with liquor and drugs cartels.
The crackdown on illicit brew and drugs in Uasin Gishu has intensified.
A multi-agency security team unearthed 10 jerricans of ethanol buried in sand inside a palatial residence within the Royalton area along the Eldoret-Nairobi road.
Several suspects were arrested, and Uasin Gishu commander Benjamin Mwanthi said they are seeking the mansion’s owner.
Ethanol is used to manufacture illicit alcohol, which can be deadly.
Police officers, county inspectorate officials and vigilant neighbours together exposed the illegal cache right outside the luxury home.
Uasin Gishu Governor Jonathan Bii, who champions the war against addiction, warned that there would be no safe haven for individuals endangering lives through their death trade.
“We will not allow our county to be misused by people who aim to destroy the lives of our children and families,” Bii said.
The day before, Farouk questioned how vehicles ferrying many large jerricans of illicit alcohol have been able to evade police roadblocks and reach drinking dens in rural and urban areas.
“We have senior police officers here, including OCPDs whose work is to collect bribes from sellers of alcohol and drugs to ruin the lives of our people,” he said.
He said some officers guide the lorries to evade roadblocks using secretive ‘panya’ routes.
Commander Mwanthi said they would team up with other agencies in the region to arrest all those manufacturing and selling illicit alcohol and drugs.
“We have set up roadblocks and will carry out raids to ensure we completely stop this illegal business,” he said.
Farouk expressed alarm over the resurgence of substance abuse in Uasin Gishu where many families, especially youths, are suffering.
He said addiction threatens the lives of young people who are dropping out of schools and colleges.
The president’s aide expressed anger that police and other security agencies have failed to curb the manufacture and sale of illicit alcohol and drugs.
Farouk has been speaking out against the angers of alcoholism and drug abuse at most of his public meetings and empowerment forums.
At Kesses in Uasin Gishu, he launched a scathing attack on some senior security officers, accusing them of taking part in the region’s alcohol and drug cartels.
“This alcohol is ruining many families because in some homes drunk men cannot even climb onto their beds, instead they sleep under the beds,” he said.
Some alcohol is poisonous, causing unconsciousness, blindness and death. Some consumers have been unconscious for more than three days.
“We have to speak out and act now because if we don’t, then we are losing the next generation as we watch. Drunken youths can no longer engage in any productive activities,” the presidential aide said.
He deplored that some leaders were exploiting alcoholism by using addicted youths as goons to disrupt political rallies.
“The same youths will be goons today,” Faroul said, “and then soon they will form criminal gangs because they will have nothing else to do.”
