Two arrested as NACADA seizes bottles of illicit alcohol in Mai Mahiu, Kijabe towns

The operation, conducted on Wednesday, involved NACADA enforcement officers working alongside the National Police Service after residents raised concerns over the sale of illicit alcoholic drinks in Kijabe.

According to NACADA, officers first arrested a woman who was selling Ugandan coffee-flavoured vodka from her residential house in Kijabe. Acting on information obtained during the arrest, authorities proceeded to Mai Mahiu, where they searched the home of a male suspect believed to be the supplier.

During the search, officers recovered 2,526 plastic bottles of alcohol, each containing 200 millilitres, all suspected to have been smuggled from Uganda.

NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr Anthony Omerikwa said the operation was part of ongoing festive season enforcement aimed at curbing the sale and consumption of illicit alcohol, which poses serious health and safety risks.

He noted that surveillance has been stepped up, including along cross-border routes, to disrupt smuggling networks and prevent illegal alcohol from entering the market.

NACADA warned that individuals involved in the manufacture, distribution, or sale of illicit alcohol will face prosecution, adding that licences of compliant manufacturers and distributors risk cancellation.