Police seize suspected counterfeit alcohol in crackdown

The multi-agency operation, led by Kirinyaga Police Commander Anderson Njagi, began on Thursday afternoon and continued into the night following intelligence from members of the public.

Officers, who were armed with a court-issued search warrant, recovered 87 cartons of assorted alcohol in 200ml bottles, 19 cartons of Dallas-branded alcohol in 200ml bottles, several 750ml Jumbo Ice bottles and four crates of 750ml Santa King Ice bottles.

They also seized 157 empty bottles bearing different brands, two battery chargers suspected to have been used to seal the bottles, two motorcycles without number plates and a Toyota Probox, registration number KBM 379G, suspected to have been used to transport the alcohol.

Njagi said the premises were in poor hygienic condition, raising concerns about the safety of the products.

Police will forward the seized items to the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and the Government Chemist for analysis.

The commander said the premises belonged to a suspect identified as Kabogo, who escaped during the raid and is being pursued by police.

He warned those involved in the illicit alcohol trade that the operation marked the beginning of a wider crackdown.

“Hii ni kionjo tu. Tutapambana nao mpaka we make Kirinyaga clean,” Njagi said.

Meanwhile, some residents called on the government to consider legalising traditional brews, including makabo and muratina, arguing that restrictions on their production had contributed to the spread of counterfeit alcohol.

Led by Michael Mugweru, Charles Kariuki, Josphat Kabuci and Duncan Kimani, the residents said the government should explore regulated production of traditional brews as part of efforts to address the sale of dangerous alcohol.

Peter Gatimu said consumers faced serious risks from counterfeit products.

“Even if you take a drum of makabo you cannot die, but when you take a bottle of this fake alcohol, you cannot even walk a step without lying down,” he said.

Duncan Kimani called for greater cooperation between security agencies, local administrators and residents, saying the fight against illicit alcohol would require a coordinated approach.

He questioned the absence of local administrators during the operation, arguing that their knowledge of the area could help identify those involved in the trade.

However, Pastor Josphat Kabuci opposed the consumption of both illicit alcohol and traditional brews, saying he would support the police operation to stop the distribution of the suspected counterfeit products.

Kabuci claimed the suspect had been distributing the alcohol in Karii for an extended period without intervention.

He said he would work with Njagi and his team to ensure those responsible were brought to justice.

Njagi noted that Karii was also the scene of a deadly alcohol poisoning incident in February 2024, when more than 17 people died after consuming toxic illicit alcohol during what became known as the Kangai tragedy.

The commander thanked residents for providing information that led to the raid and urged them to continue reporting suspected illicit alcohol production and distribution.