This archive report was first published on 4 January 2022.
January 4, 2022, marked a month since eight people lost their lives after allegedly consuming a killer brew in Njoro sub-County. However, residents have now raised concerns that the illicit brew trade has returned to the area.
According to sources, traders in Konza village have resumed their business, selling the brew between 6 am and 7 am. The traders have allegedly mastered new tricks, including selling the brew in polythene bags to consumers who then consume it in different places.
“They have mastered new tricks. They bar consumers from drinking in their compound and are now selling the brew between 6 am and 7 am,” a source revealed. The source also claimed that consumers visit the areas one by one with polythene bags and leave with brew, which they consume in different places.
Local leaders have refused to comment on the matter, but their silence has not denied the claims that the illicit trade is back in the area. In December 2021, Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya led a raid on the dens, ordering the destruction of structures and the recovery of illicit brews.
It remains to be seen whether the authorities will take action to address the resurgence of the illicit brew trade in Njoro.
