The Thursday evening stabbing to death of a senior police officer in Laikipia County has lifted the lid off how dangerous illicit brewing dens have become, and how far criminals in the trade are willing to go to protect their livelihood.
The illegal brewing industry is run by a large shadowy network that is so organised it operates like a government, complete with elaborate structures spread across the country that make the trade difficult to dismantle.
The dealers of chang'aa, an illicit brew that is popular in low-income urban settlements and villages, are present in several parts of Kenya, with many ready to kill to protect their turf. When the gangs are not pooling resources to influence the replacement of security officers meant to be cracking down on them, they are busy manning the small-time brewers of the liquor or ferrying the same to far-flung destinations.
In this world, illicit brew merchants are a law unto themselves.
The stabbing of Rumuruti Police Station Deputy Officer Commanding Police Station Prosper Wandera is just one of many incidents where national government administrators have been attacked by dangerous gangs.
The officer had reportedly raided a den in Sossian within Maundu Ni Meri shopping centre when he was attacked. “It is reported that the officer had received information that some jerrycans of the illicit brew were to be delivered at a den in the area. He decided to conduct a raid but was attacked by a brewer," said Laikipia County Police Commander John Nyoike.
He said a team of police officers, led by the area police commander, rushed to the scene and found that their colleague had been fatally stabbed on the left side of the chest using a sharp object suspected to be a knife.
“A boda boda rider alleged that he carried the deceased alone from Rumuruti town to Maundu Ni Meri shopping centre to make an arrest at the den belonging to a businesswoman. He met resistance from the suspect who was delivering 20 litres of chang'aa,” said the police boss.
The death of the officer demonstrates the dangers that come with the hostility security officials and administrators charged with fighting the menace face. Administrators have reported being threatened and, in extreme cases, hunted down by the gangs.
For instance, some years back, a female assistant chief in Laikipia suffered a broken arm after a local brewer attacked her during a raid on a chang’aa den.
Ms Jane Muchui, the assistant chief of Karandi Sub-Location in Laikipia West, was assaulted after the brewer managed to close the door behind her as soon as she entered the drinking den. He then fled through a window.
Ms Muchui, who has since been promoted to Gituamba chief, was also among administrators in the area who had received threats through leaflets dropped into their homes by people suspected to be in the illegal trade.
Alleged police complicity
A chief who spoke to the Saturday Nation on condition of anonymity said rogue security officers work with the criminals to frustrate the war on illicit brews.
“Two things could have happened leading to the death of the officer. His colleagues could have leaked information about the impending raid to the brewer who planned the attack. Another possibility is a deal gone wrong between the officer and the brewer,” the administrator said.
Mr Simon Ekwam, a resident, accused the Judiciary of “being too lenient”. He said: “The courts usually impose lenient fines. Whenever a brewer is arrested, he/she is bailed out by colleagues. I know of many brewers who have been arrested several times and are asked to pay bail or a fine of between Sh10,000 and Sh20,000, which is too lenient.”
Meanwhile, police are searching for the suspected killer. “We are hunting for the suspect who fled immediately on a motorcycle,” said Mr Nyoike, adding that the suspect left behind a 20-litre jerrycan of illicit brew.
Salama, Lorian in Rumuruti, Sossian, Karandi, Kiamaina and Ng’arua are some of the areas notorious for the sale of illicit brews in Laikipia.
