Four police officers have been detained; they are suspected of selling the illicit brew that killed seventeen people in Kirinyaga.

The officers were detained and charged in Baricho Law Courts on Tuesday. They are thought to have sold the beer, which was kept as an exhibit at the Kiamaciri police station.

To give police time to finish their investigations, senior principal magistrate Stephen Nyaga has permitted them to be held at the Kerugoya police station until March 7, 2024.

The suspects face charges of conspiracy to commit a felony and stealing exhibit.

Police officers believed to have sold the brew, which had been stored as exhibit at Kiamaciri police station. Photo/ Citizen Digital.

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Among those who have been arraigned is Kennedy Mugambi, the immediate former Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kiamaciri police station and current SOP in Kabete.

Mugambi allegedly broke into a store at the Kiamaciri police station in the Mwea West Sub- County with Allan Kiamazi, Brian Kariuki, and Francis Muteithia, taking the exhibit, which they later sold to a local trader.

17 people died as a result of the illegal beer being sold at a Kangai bar.

On the evening of February 4, 2024, at Ksh. 20,000, the officers allegedly sold the beer to John Muriithi Karaya, the owner of Carlifonia bar.


Muriithi was held for 20 days after making an appearance before Baricho Law Courts on February 7.