Illegal Brewery Explodes in Machakos

Two brewers from Jericho village, Mavoloni sub-County in Machakos are nursing serious burn injuries after a boiler exploded on them on Tuesday, October 22.

Confirming the sad incident, Jericho Village chief, Alois Mutiso, stated that the two were locked in a house near Yatta National Youth College.

Citizen Digital reported that the two were afraid of being arrested and as such, they had not yet sought medical attention by around 3:30 p.m.

After the June 13 2019-2020 budget statement, former NACADA boss John Mututho faulted the govt for hiking alcohol prices arguing that the move will increase consumption of changaa.

The area chief took a swipe at security personnel in the region and accused the law enforcers of taking no action in the fight against brewing of the illegal drink.

In January, The Standard reported that a chang'aa brewery along River Katine in Ngomeni, Matungulu Sub-county survived police raids for close to a decade.

Local residents described the owner of the brewery as a well-connected individual protected by county officials and the police.

On Friday, August 16, police arrested two Chinese nationals who were in possession of 800 litres of methanol and more than 3,000 litres of chang'aa and busaa in Athi River Machakos County.

The police also recovered sacks of sorghum and rice plus drums of sorghum mixtures that were kept for fermentation purposes. 

In his view on other factors fuelling the consumption of chang'aa, former Nacada chairman John Mututho faulted the government's decision to hike the price of alcoholic drinks as per the 2019-2020 budget estimates tabled in Parliament on Thursday, June 13.

“The new policy will promote the use of unsafe traditional brews and development of harmful counterfeits. I totally disagree with the move to increase duty on alcohol,” Mututho argued.

On Friday, August 16, police arrested two Chinese nationals who were in possession of more than 3,000 litres of chang'aa and busaa in Athi River, Machakos County.
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