One arrested, 25 litres of Ethanol recovered in ongoing war on illicit brew

Items recovered after securty agencies raided a home in Gichugu, Kirinyaga County. [Timothy Kariuki, Standard]

Security agencies have arrested one person after raiding a home in Kabare area of Gichugu Constituency, Kirinyaga County as part of the ongoing government's war on illicit brew.

The police also managed to recover fake Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) stamps and hundreds of bottles of assorted brands of suspected illicit liquor.

Speaking shortly after the raid, Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hassan Allasow the suspect in custody is a worker at the home and that the homeowner is still at large.

Kirinyaga county commissioner Hussein Allasow displays fake KRA stamps that were nabbed at a home in Kabare, Gichugu. [Timothy Kariuki, Standard]

"Among the products nabbed are 31 bottles of fake tropical ice, 85 bottles of Santa King Ice, Jambo Ice and Smirnoff Ice. Also nabbed are 25 litres of suspected ethanol and over 30 litres of other chemicals suspected to be used in the manufacturing of illicit liquor," Allasow says.

The County Commissioner describes the home as a full manufacturing plant.

"We have also nabbed bags of bottle tops which the suspect has been using to cover the liquor and install stamps to make it look genuine,".

The commissioner has also cautioned consumers of alcohol to be weary of what they are consuming saying that they suspect some of the illicit during could have found itself in the market and is already being sold to unsuspecting consumers.

The suspect is in custody pending arraignment as investigations are still underway.