Brewers of illicit alcohol in Tharaka-Nithi now operating from the bush

Brewers and consumers of illicit alcohol have changed tactics, making it hard to contain the vice, Tharaka-Nithi County Commissioner Florence Amoit has admitted.

The illegal trade has moved to thickets near river banks where police can hardly suspect any activity is going on, Ms Amoit said.

Speaking to journalists in her office in Chuka on Wednesday, the administrator said consumers have been trooping to the bushes one by one to avoid suspicion by chiefs and their assistants.

However, village elders and the public have been instrumental in the war against the illicit brews by tipping the administrators and security teams, she noted.

She said the government would not relent and asked the brewers to look for alternative income-generating activities.

Ms Amoit, however, said that some notorious brewers were still engaged in the illegal activity and called on residents to help the government identify them.

She called for support from religious leaders, saying the clergy were better placed to help end alcoholism.

“Youths and parents who indulge in alcoholism end up becoming disoriented in their lives and fail the community,” she said.

Meanwhile, Ms Amoit has asked the residents to embrace the Nyumba Kumi initiative in order to help monitor all activities in the villages.