By Michelle Ndaga
The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) on Saturday morning led a major crackdown in Soweto village, Kahawa West, Nairobi County, destroying over 10,000 litres of illicit brew in a multi-agency operation.
The pre-dawn raid, mounted at around 5:00 a.m., involved NACADA officials, National Government Administration Officers (NGAO), and an elite Nairobi police unit. Startled brewers fled as officers stormed the site, with the operation concluding successfully by 8:30 a.m.
Authorities destroyed more than 10,000 litres of Kangara, 30 jerricans of ready-to-sell Chang’aa, and dismantled tanks, plastic drums, and boiling equipment used in the illegal production process. According to officials, the toxic brews were poured into nearby sewers to ensure they could not be recovered for resale.
NACADA Chief Executive Officer Dr. Anthony Omerikwa hailed the operation as a significant victory in the war against illicit alcohol, saying it was proof of the effectiveness of multi-agency collaboration.
He emphasized that such crackdowns would continue across the country as part of Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen’s 100-day rapid-results directive aimed at stamping out illicit liquor.
“This is a strong warning to those engaging in the manufacture and distribution of poisonous brews. We will not relent until every illegal den is shut down,” Omerikwa said. He further appealed to the public to support the campaign by reporting suspicious activities through local administrators or via NACADA’s toll-free hotline, 1192.
The Kahawa West raid underscores the government’s heightened resolve to protect communities from the dangers of toxic alcohol, which has claimed dozens of lives in recent years.
