A raid at the residence of a suspected illicit liquor brewer in the Ngomongo neighborhood of Kutus, Kirinyaga county, resulted in her arrest.
Knowing the situation well, police found items suspected of aiding in the production of illicit alcohol and a maintenance hole that is believed to be part of a place where illegal brewing takes place.
Eight hundred thousand shillings in cash were also taken in the raid, and the Kiriyaga county commissioner reported that 35 additional people had been detained for the sale of alcohol during the prohibition.
"We have arrested many, and even as we speak, someone has been arrested in this town," County Commissioner Hussein Allason stated.
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The newly elected county commissioner, who had presided over a security meeting earlier, declared that they would not relent to suppress unlicensed brewers who are believed to be operating out of private homes.
"We are also targeting illegal manufacturers, and we have been informed that those who engage in illegal manufacturing will be prosecuted; we have already arrested many of them."
The commissioner announced that he and the county administration would start a fresh licensing and assessment procedure on Tuesday.
"We are working together to re-evaluate and re-assess all licences and start over so that those conducting legitimate business are not harmed." He continued.
Civil servants in the alcohol industry will suffer under the new licensing procedure as their licenses will be permanently revoked.
"We have already identified and have a civil servants and all employees of the officers and those who own bars we have discussed that the licenses of all those officers have been revoked and will not be be issued with licences,"
Despite this, Kirinyaga County bar owners request a review of the general prohibition on alcohol sales due to monetary losses.
“Mimi ni mwenye kiti , wamiliki wa vilabu, kirinyaga: zile biashara tunafanya na loans, na loan haingioji na alisema ati anafunga till futher notice kama ni verification ifanywe kama tunaendelea na natka kumwambia kuwa panya akiingia kwa nyumba hubomoi nyumba,” Bernard Waweru, chairman of the Kirinyaga bar association said.
Faith Irungu, a bar owner, begged the governor to lift the prohibition, claiming that the closure negatively impacted their livelihood.
"We request both the county and national government to consider that we are genuine business owners and we have families." Faith Irungu told Citizen TV.
“Tunakuomba tu ann wewe ni mama wetu tufungulie tu ndio tuweze kusomesha watoto wetu.”
The traders agreed to assist the government in the fight against illegal and poisonous drinks, such as the one that claimed the lives of 20 people in Kirinyaga County.
“Sisi hakuna mahali tunaunga mkono watu wanauza pombe mbaya na hata kama association tumekataa pombe mbaya na kama iko tutaungana na serikali kufungana nayo,” Waweru said.
