Africa-Press – Kenya. The twenty people who were on Thursday arrested inside an illicit second–generation liquor distillation factory in Matungulu, Machakos County have been charged.
The suspects who included nine men and eleven women were arraigned in Kangundo Law courts on Friday.
Appearing before magistrate Daniel Ole Keua, ten of the suspects pleaded guilty to the charges levelled against them and were released on Sh50, 000 cash bail with an alternative two months jail term in default to raise the cash bail.
The ten included Lucy Wambui, Joan Njeri, Faith Wanjiru, Michael Maina, Susan Kimani, Mary Chege, Irene Muthoni, Ruth Maina, Moses Mwangi, and John Ndung’u.
Nine other suspects were committed to probation, while one denied the charges and was issued Sh300,000 bond.
The suspects were nabbed during a police swoop in the illegal plant located within Tala Township.
Matungulu deputy county commissioner Everline Wekesa said:
“Our officers who were on patrol came across this building and upon search, they found out that there was the manufacturing of illicit liquor which is in form of wines and spirits,” Wekesa said.
Wekesa who was accompanied by Matungulu sub-county police commander Peter Omondi alongside other security chiefs addressed the press at the scene hours after the arrests.
She said the officers alerted relevant officers who in turn briefed the sub-county security team.
“We came down to confirm what exactly was happening and as you can see around, this place was being used for manufacturing illicit liquor. The twenty arrested suspects included their supervisor,” Wekesa said.
Wekesa said the business was being run illegally; it had no licence from any relevant authorities as required by the law.
She said police were in pursuit of the owner who was still at large by press time.
The administrator said preliminary investigations revealed that all the suspects hailed from Kariobangi and Kayole estates in Nairobi.
“There is no sign of people staying here. The house is under construction hence not easy to suspect that such business takes place here,” Wekesa said.
Wekesa said the brewers had operated for only four days before police struck.
For More News And Analysis About Kenya Follow Africa-Press
