Police in Nyandarua on Monday raided a farm belonging to a 59-year-old farmer at Kambirwa Village, Ol Kalou Constituency where they uprooted flourishing bhang estimated to be worth Sh700, 000.
The over 2,500 stems of bhang had been cultivated by Paul Mwangi Kariuki currently being held at Ol Kalou police station.
Confirming the exercise, Nyandarua Central Police Commander Stella Cherono noted that officers acted following a tip-off from a resident before proceeding to the suspect’s farm to confirm the claims.
“We received information from a member of the public who informed us about the illegal farming leading to the raid. The crop is ruining the lives of many young men. What we uprooted today would have been circulated across various parts of the country, you can imagine the damage that one man would have caused the society,” Cherono stated.
Cherono noted that the contraband plants had been planted at a strategic part of the farm, surrounded by other crops in an attempt to conceal the illegal farming.
“We thank the members of the public for sharing the information with others, I appeal to the public to always share that information with us which will be treated with confidence. The success on war against drugs is succeeding in Nyandarua Central due to better working relations between the police and the community,” the police boss added much to the displeasure of locals.
However, a section of locals blamed the police for raiding the farm claiming the crop was flourishing and had better market value than Irish potato and dairy farming which are the main Nyandarua cash crops.
Admiring the enticing health crop at Ol Kalou police station, the residents blamed the police for destroying such a flourishing crop that would have earned the farmer handsomely, adding that the government should legalize growing the bhang.
“This old man was doing better growing the weed, he must have spent a fortune taking care of his crop which was doing better than Irish potato on his farm and those of the neighbours. He is better than those killing people at Shakahola, he wanted to earn a decent living, but the police have killed that dream, this crop should be legalised,” said a resident.
