Thika MP Alice Ng’ang’a led the police, chiefs and residents of Thika in bringing down eight manufacturing companies and 567 wines and spirits bars in the whole of Thika constituency on Friday.
The legislator started by setting up strategies with the local administration and the police inspectors to ensure the raids was successful in a private meeting held in Cravers hotel.
Storming into Kiandutu where the recent alcoholic deaths were reported, the irate legislator in assistance of the Thika deputy county commissioner, Jeremiah Gicheru, and the Thika police bosses commenced by recovering bhang estimated at Sh7,000 in a bar next to the police premises.
She further caught a group of youths joined by police and chiefs who had raided other parts of the slums and destroyed 129 cartons of wines and spirits and 1,700 litres of illicit brews hidden in deep dens that were not easily accessible.
The group, after raiding and apprehending anyone found drunk or operating the bars, disbursed milk cartons to the youths which according to the CDF chairman Ephraim Njihia, will help those who take alcohol to either take beer or turn to milk completely.
The MP, who was speaking in Kiganjo, further revealed that she had noted with concern that chiefs alone are not capable of finishing the illicit brews as the dens are dangerous and it was a risk-taking job so the need much help.
The operation, ‘maliza pombe haramu’, took the whole day as it ended in Kilimambogo at around 8pm.
The MP has vowed to make sure the brewing ends as no manufacturer will set his brewing den in Thika even if licensed by the county government of Kiambu.