Residents have been urged to be extremely cautious when consuming alcohol within Kitui County after a major counterfeiting racket was crushed in a NACADA dawn raid, exposing the widespread circulation of dangerous, uncertified liquor that does not meet KEBS standards.
In a high-impact operation targeting the underground alcohol market, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), working with security agencies, raided the Trade Lounge Club in Kalundu at daybreak. Weeks of surveillance revealed the club was stocked with 670 cartons of illegal, second-generation liquor hidden in concealed, poorly lit storerooms deliberately designed to escape inspection. The seized brews are believed to be toxic and unfit for human consumption.
The crackdown did not stop there. Acting on intelligence leads, officers stormed a homestead in Wikililye, Nzambani Ward, where they discovered a fully operational illicit distillery disguised as a residential home. The compound was secretly housing chemical mixers, bottling machines, storage drums, and piles of fake brand stickers all used to manufacture counterfeit alcohol disguised as legitimate brands. Two suspects, including a notorious suspected ringleader, were arrested.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Antony Omerikwa, warned Kenyans against blind consumption of alcohol, emphasizing that many “drinks” being sold are essentially toxic chemicals.
“This operation shows the deadly networks we are fighting. Counterfeit brews threaten the lives of many innocent consumers. Let this serve as a warning the crackdown will continue, and we will not tolerate poison being sold as alcohol,” said Dr. Omerikwa.
At the Kitui Police Station, where the suspects were booked and the exhibits secured, Kitui OCPD Mwisiho Karanja confirmed that the seized alcohol is part of a massive illegal supply chain that could have killed unsuspecting drinkers.
“This is not a small-time business. We are fully enforcing the President’s directive to eliminate killer brews. Nobody should consume any alcohol blindly. If it’s not approved by KEBS, it’s a risk to your life,” he cautioned.
Local leaders and residents have applauded the operation, warning that many bars and dens across the county could still be selling uncertified alcohol. The public is therefore advised: if you must drink, verify the source — because in Kitui, that glass may be a dose of poison, not alcohol.
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