Crackdown
Nandi County Commissioner (CC) Caroline Nzwili has cautioned bar owners and those trading in illicit brews against attacking chiefs and police officers conducting raids in the area.
This follows attacks on chiefs at Kamelil and Chepsire locations while conducting raids on illicit brew dens. Nzwili said the acts of lawlessness would not be tolerated adding that stern action shall be taken against any individual or groups planning such attacks on security officers.
“It has come to our attention that our chiefs are being harassed while conducting raids. We are not going to relent in this fight. Those threatening and attacking our officers will face the full arm of the law,” she said.
Speaking at Tinderet Sub-County headquarters, the County Commissioner said the attacks would not stop the drive to rid the county of illicit brews calling on area residents to join the fight by volunteering information to tame the menace.
She added noted that illicit brews have led to family disintegration in the area while some men have been rendered impotent. This, she added, has affected the education sector with quite a number of schools in the area lacking students.
The County Commissioner said the crackdown would continue daily to ensure that all illicit brews and narcotics in the area were wiped out. Speaking during the same occasion, Tinderet Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) Esther Oyugi said over 2,000 litres of illicit brew have been impounded and destroyed in the area over the last one week.
Four bars have been closed down with the war extending to gaming machines and pool table gaming areas where illicit brews are sold, she added.
Oyugi said a multi-agency team has conducted 57 raids which also saw three unlicensed chemists closed.She said the crackdown shall be intensified to cover all corners to the Sub-County to clear illicit brews in the area.
“Consumers of these brews are endangering their lives because they cannot be sure about the contents of what they consume. We shall relentlessly sustain the crackdowns to ensure we rid our Sub-County of illicit brews,” she said.