Police impound bhang, arrest four in Ruiru

Police in Ruiru, Kiambu County, yesterday arrested four people and impounded bhang that was being processed in a homestead near a school.

They also recovered illicit brews and 40 litres of ethanol that was being manufactured and packaged a short distance from Gatong’ora Primary School and the newly opened Ruiru Vocational Training College.

Area Sub-County Police Commander Alex Shikondi said his officers, acting on a tip-off, raided the premises. However, the main suspect escaped a police dragnet.

The raid comes after local women recently held a demonstration protesting the rampant sale of illicit brews that they claimed reduced their men to “vegetables.”

“We want to assure residents, especially women that they can go back to the bedroom following claims that they no longer go there because their men have been rendered useless by these drinks,” Shikondi who was accompanied by area OCS Jane Kabuchwa, said.

The police commander said the main suspect nicknamed ‘Rasta’ had installed CCTV cameras on a perimeter wall in his compound and he must have spotted the police when they approached the homestead before he fled.

Shikondi commended local residents for sharing the information and asked them to continue co-operating with security agencies to rid the area of crime.

He said the suspects would be arraigned in court as police intensify a hunt for the ring leader whose four employees are now in custody awaiting prosecution.

Among the illicit drinks impounded were two brands labelled Aquila and Chaser which bore fake Kenya Revenue Authority  stickers.

Police also seized a motor bike believed to have been used to transport the illegal items.