NAIROBI, Kenya, Mar 1 – In a dramatic double-blow to Trans Nzoia’s underground narcotics trade, NACADA has dismantled two major illicit operations within 12 hours, arresting six suspects and seizing a haul that exposes the brazen nature of the county’s substance abuse crisis.
The back-to-back operations began in the pre-dawn hours of Saturday when NACADA detectives, acting on intelligence, swooped on a homestead in the rural Ngonyek area. There, they uncovered a sophisticated alcohol counterfeiting plant operating within the residence of a previously “untouchable” and influential local businessman.
According to sources at the scene, the raid revealed a fully operational distillery designed to produce counterfeit versions of popular high-end spirits. More alarmingly, officers discovered a distribution network for 400 liters of uncustomed industrial ethanol, the raw ingredient used to brew lethal, illicit alcohol known locally as ‘kumi kumi’ or ‘kill me quick’.
Three suspects were apprehended at the Ngonyek residence as they attempted to destroy evidence.
Hours later, and just as the sun rose over Kitale Town, NACADA struck again. This time, the target was not a hidden rural den, but a bustling commercial premises located directly opposite the town’s central public transport terminal.
“We moved from the rural hideouts to the heart of the urban jungle,” said NACADA CEO Dr. Anthony Omerikwa, who spoke following the afternoon operation. “What we found was a distribution hub operating with impunity right under our noses.”
Dr. Omerikwa revealed that the premises, which houses multiple retail outlets, was being used as a front to sell cannabis to a high-traffic audience. The location, situated next to the bus terminal, provides direct access to travelers and, worryingly, students currently breaking from school for the midterm holiday.
“This was not discreet. This was a supermarket-style operation targeting our children. The human traffic here is massive, and the vulnerability of school-going children passing through this terminal cannot be overstated,” Dr. Omerikwa added.
The town center raid led to the arrest of three additional suspects. Officers recovered over 180 rolls of assorted cannabis, commonly referred to as ‘bhang’, alongside thousands of empty packaging sachets and rolling papers designed to appeal to younger users.
The seizures come amid alarming national data released by NACADA indicating a sharp upsurge in substance abuse among Kenyan youth. The findings have caught the attention of the highest office in the land; President William Ruto has declared a renewed, multi-agency war on alcohol and drug abuse, directing NACADA to coordinate a crackdown.
“The President’s directive is bearing fruit,” Dr. Omerikwa stated. “These are not just arrests; they are the beginning of a process. We are compiling dockets to ensure that beyond prosecution, we pursue asset forfeiture. We want to ensure that these businessmen lose the value of their illicit trade.”
Traders in Kitale’s central business district welcomed the crackdown, expressing relief that the open-air narcotics market was being shut down, though some whispered of fears of reprisals from the criminal networks now under siege.
As the six suspects await arraignment, NACADA has vowed to maintain the momentum, signaling that the untouchable status once enjoyed by drug lords in the region has officially expired.
