Revellers attack & injure police officers after raid on brewing den

Mar 30, 2023 - 07:54

File image of Kenyan police officers during a past raid. |Photo| Courtesy|

An attempt by police officers to raid a Chang’aa den at a village in Trans-Nzoia County was met with resistance after the brewer raised an alarm attracting troops of drunkards and villagers who attacked the officers. According to the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), the incident occurred after the officers had stormed Bwake village and headed straight to Mulati’s homestead targeting his wife who is a notorious brewer. The sleuths noted that her proficiency in brewing the most potent local brew is unparalleled and Bwake villagers were willing to pay the ultimate price in protecting her. No sooner had they announced their entry, than Mulati’s wife started throwing tantrums alerting the whole village, of the presence of the unwelcome intruders. [caption id="attachment_6406" align="alignnone" width="948"]

File image of police officers pictured at a crime scene. |Photo| Courtesy|[/caption]

"But even as she screamed deliriously in a high pitched voice, some revellers continued imbibing their pints unperturbed, dismissing the raid as the usual swoops coordinated by the village committee. Others took vantage positions in the compound and challenged the officers to a duel, as they gathered rocks and other projectiles. Along the banks of a stream in the backyard, drums of boiling froth sat precariously on improvised jikos as pipes immersed in the stream poured droplets of the distilled substance in 20-litre jerrycans.," the DCI narrated.

"Two connoisseurs who tested the potency of the final product stood guard, holding half-burnt wood. The set-up was well organized though not technologically advanced, reminiscent of a distilling plant of medieval times," DCI described the operation.

Before the Sergeant in charge of the operation ordered his men to arrest the woman and her husband, the revellers pelted the officers with stones, hurling other projectiles at them. The officers were forced to retreat.

The officers fired several rounds in the air to scare away the crowd that was baying for their blood. Two of them suffered serious injuries and were referred to Kitale referral hospital for specialized treatment.

Meanwhile, a well-coordinated operation in response to the Saturday incident is currently ongoing.