Police have netted 1.7 million litres of unregulated brews and hard drugs worth millions of shillings in the past two months.
Internal Security and National Administration Principal Secretary (PS) Raymond Omollo said the operation will be intensified as the government seeks to boost public health and address security challenges posed by the vice.
The PS further said that the multi-agency team on the ground is under strict instructions to go hard on those involved in the illegal business, particularly the producers, distributors, and sellers.
“We must disrupt the trade to stand any chance of breaking the chain of harm that is flowing from the production to the consumption of these deadly drinks,” the PS said after reviewing the latest report on the progress of the mission.
According to the report, kangara tops the list of the informal brews netted since January with over 1.6 million litres tipped so far.
Chang’aa and busaa, whose figures in the ongoing operation stand at 330,824 litres and 112,915 litres respectively, are also popular bootleg liquors among brewers and consumers.
Omollo also singled out the widespread abuse of cannabis as a major cause for concern, with a total of 347,944 rolls, stones and stems of the drug seized so far, majorly from Central, Eastern and Rift Valley regions.
Officers have also netted over four tonnes of the drug in bulk form in what turns out to be a confirmation of the government’s worst fears in the war against narcotics.
“These figures speak volumes about what we’re dealing with as a country,” the PS said.
He added: “We are now prioritising evidence-based approaches in our interventions and need to work together in harm reduction strategies, that include investing in education, healthcare, job-creation, and social programs to help our people make wiserchoices.”
