An unlicensed alcohol manufacturing plant was on Monday, November 28, shut down in Njiru, Nairobi, following a raid by detectives from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI).
A statement from the DCI indicates that the detectives, who were in the company of officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), raided Bongo enterprises LTD in the wee hours of Monday morning.
Police said the sleuths from the Economic and Commercial Crimes Unit (CCU) recovered hundreds of counterfeited KRA stamps and over 5,000 stickers of an alcoholic drink identified as Bongo Vodka.
Also Read:
No one was arrested as workers are said to have fled the scene after getting wind of the operation.
"Workers at the plant who seemed to have gotten wind of the detectives’ impending arrival fled the premises hurriedly, leaving the machines used in the manufacture of the highly potent liquor roaring with vigour," DCI said.
ILLEGAL ALCOHOL MANUFACTURING PLANT SHUT DOWN AS FAKE KRA STAMPS RECOVERED
An unlicensed alcohol manufacturing plant has been shut down in Njiru, Nairobi County, after DCI detectives & officials from the Kenya Revenue Authority raided Bongo enterprises LTD & uncovered hundreds pic.twitter.com/pbkvGqWUbI— DCI KENYA (@DCI_Kenya) November 28, 2022
Police pursuing firm's owner
Police have since launched a manhunt for the owners of the premises.
"Detectives are on the trail of the owners of the plant located along the Njiru - Mwiki road, who once arrested will be made to answer for their actions in strict conformity to the law," DCI added.
The raid follows a recent directive by President William Ruto to the police, to conduct intelligence-led operations targeting counterfeit goods, after it was discovered that crooked businessmen had devised ways of evading tax.
Last month, the Head of State directed KRA to collect Ksh3 trillion in the next financial year.
Speaking during the annual Taxpayers' month at the Kenyatta International Convention Centre (KICC) on Friday, October 28, 2022, the Head of State also affirmed that his administration was prepared to implement changes at the agency to maximize efficient and effective tax collection.
“We should be able to collect enough money. Our Growth Domestic Product (GDP) has risen Ksh12 trillion yet KRA only raised about 14 percent of GDP in revenues last year. In the past, KRA was able to raise 18 percent of GDP. If we collect the same target today, we would have raised an extra 4 hundred billion shillings. In that case, I expect KRA to collect 3 trillion in the next financial year,” the head of state said.
He added: “We are determined to effect decisive changes in order to reverse this unsatisfactory state of affairs. The practice of citizen harassment as a means of tax administration is unacceptable. In the past, revenue collection registered noticeable growth. This was a result of an effective national mobilization strategy."
