National Police Service officers from Nyeri and Nyandarua counties have received training from liquor manufacturer East Africa Breweries Limited, on how to distinguish genuine alcohol from illicit brew.
The one-day training, which was held at the FK resort in Nyeri, brought together close to 80 Officers Commanding Station, Officers in Charge of Crime and Officers Commanding Police Divisions from the two counties.
Speaking on the sidelines of the training, Central Region Police Commander Samuel Ndanyi, commended the liquor manufacturer for supporting the government’s efforts in tackling the illicit brew menace.
He also said that, the training had come at a critical time as the skills acquired will help law enforcement officers to weed out illicit brew in the region during crackdown operations.
“The training is very important, especially now that we are in the festive season, because unscrupulous people may want to use the festivities to sneak in illicit brew and sell them to unsuspecting consumers.
This training will come in handy because it will equip our officers with the skills to identify legitimate alcohol and illicit brew,” stated Ndanyi.
The training will be conducted in Murang’a, Kiambu, and Kirinyaga counties. Ndanyi said that all cadres of officers under the National Police Service, including those from the Directorate of Criminal Investigations, will be brought on board during the exercise.
The Regional Commander also called on stakeholders in the liquor industry to support the government in tackling the menace. He said that the war will only be won by pooling together the efforts of all players in the sector to stay vigilant and call out those hellbent on tarnishing the reputation of legitimate alcohol business operators.
While urging Kenyans to be cautious about what they consume, the police commander said that, the government will however not relent in its efforts to eradicate the vice which he termed as a serious threat in the Central region.
“The war on illicit brews is not a lone-ranger team fight, it requires us to bring other players on board. We need to protect the consumer and the police will not do it alone, so we need other players including the manufacturers to help us in this fight,” he stated.
Ndanyi has at the same time assured the region’s residents of their safety and security during the Christmas and New Year festivities. He said that the security agencies have already drawn a security plan which will ensure a peaceful festive season.
“We will make sure that the entire region is safe and that the ordinary mwananchi can go about his business. For those who want to make merry, I can assure them that security will be provided 24 hours a day, seven days in a week,” Ndanyi said.
By Wangari Mwangi
