Eight Ugandans in court for transporting liquor in a coffin

Eight Ugandans were Thursday arraigned in a Bungoma Court after they were arrested at Malaba border trying to transporting of alcohol into Kenya in a coffin.

The eight, seven men and a woman, were arrested by the Kenya Revenue Authority officials and the police on Saturday with 1,500 sachets of alcohol worth Sh60,480.

In their defense, the suspects said that they were going to collect their relative’s body from Nairobi.

The prosecutor asked the Magistrate Linet Olel to grant the police one week so that they can investigate the matter further.

They were released on Ksh80,000 bond or Ksh30,000 cash bail. The case will be heard on November 23, 2015.

Busia county commissioner Emmanuel Odhiambo had earlier said the capsule pick up carrying about 1,500 sachets of foreign liquor was on its way to Nairobi from Mbale through Malava on Nairobi/Malava highway.

Police intercepted the vehicle after they had got information that unknown individuals were planning to smuggle liquor into the country without going through the required clearance.

Odhiambo said the driver of the vehicle was asked to drive the car to the police check post barrier for verification of the documents before they are allowed to pass. It was at that point when the police noticed the liquor and apprehended the suspects.

The vehicle is said to have passed through Tororo town, Nagongera, Mulanda town, Kisoko and Osukuru before reaching Malava border with no one noticing the content in transit.

This comes after police and KRA officials confiscated alcohol consignments being transported to Bungoma along the same route early this year.

In a similar case, police in Mt. Elgon Sub-County over the last two months have arrested over 40 people and impounded at least 2,800 litres of illicit local brew popularly known as busaa and another over 200 litres of chang’aa in a crackdown aimed at ending production of consumption of illicit brew.

A major crackdown on the menace was launched in the two districts of Cheptais and Mt Elgon in Bungoma County.

Mt Elgon Divisional Officer Philip Mbuvi said the war against illegal brews is still ongoing and warned those engaging in the vice that they will be dealt with accordingly.

Mbuvi said the operation has largely been successful because it has jointly been carried out by police officers and members of the local provincial administration.

“Village elders, assistant chiefs and chiefs have assisted in mapping out areas regarded as major brewing hotspots, in their jurisdiction. It is only a matter of time before security officers launch a crackdown on all these areas,” said Mbuvi.

He further revealed that the major hotspots that police will be focusing on include Kongit, Kaptelelio, Bugaa and Kibuk.

According to the DO, over 1,000 litres of busaa, 100 litres of chang’aa and 300 litres of Kangara that is used to make chang’aa have so far been impounded by the police.

20 people from Kaptama and Kapsokwony Divisions, notorious for brewing illicit liquor, have so far been arrested and taken to court.

Independent investigations have established that there are major cases of consumption of chang’aa in Busia and Bungoma Counties.

The chang’aa which is usually packed in clear paper bags is majorly sourced from Uganda.