This archive report was first published on 16 August 2019.
On August 15, 2019, a multi-agency operation against illicit brews in Nairobi led to the arrest of 135 individuals found brewing and consuming the brew.
However, when the suspects appeared in court the next day, they were unable to stand trial due to intoxication.
Nairobi area police boss Phillip Ndolo explained that the suspects were released on 'humanitarian grounds'.
According to Mr. Ndolo, the suspects were arrested in the morning and were still intoxicated when they appeared in court.
Images of the suspects lying on the ground next to two prison buses trended on social media, sparking public concern.
Prison authorities clarified that the suspects had not been taken to their facilities, but were instead returned to the Lang'ata Police Station or a hospital.
Dixon Mwakazi, speaking on behalf of the prisons service, stated, "The suspects were from Lang'ata Police Station, not prison. When they arrived at the court, they were rejected by the police officer in charge of the Kibera Law Courts, who ordered their escorts to take them back to the station or hospital because they could not attend court in that state."
