Rift Valley Regional Commissioner George Natembeya has suspended eight senior government officers in the Ministry of Interior.
Natembeya announced their suspension on Monday, August 16, after preliminary investigation showed that their acts of commission or omission led to the death of 10 people in Bahati, Nakuru County, after consuming illicit alcohol.
Those suspended include Nakuru County Deputy Commissioner in charge of Bahati Godfrey Mayama, OCPD, Bernard Wamugunda, Deputy Commissioner Isaac Ooko, OCS Solomon Wamae, one Chief and his Deputy, as well as Robert Maina in charge of police welfare in the county.
"We have done our investigation so far, and those found culpable are the police officers in Nakuru North," said Natembeya.
The commissioner warned that county officers from different counties which are notorious for illicit brew would also lose their jobs should they fail to curb the consumption of the illicit brew.
Natembeya issued a stern warning to county police bosses from the counties of Nakuru, Bomet, Kericho, Nandi, Kajiado, Narok, Laikipia, Trans Nzoia, and Samburu to end consumption of illicit brews in their respective counties.
The regional commissioner noted that officers who underperformed or misbehaved would not be transferred but rather interdicted, and consequently fired if found guilty.
Natembeya warned that those officers who entertained laxity would quickly be dismissed from their posts.
"If lives are lost due to officers' laxity, they will be sent home," he added.
According to Bahati residents, there are now 10 people who succumbed after consuming the illicit drink which was made of chemicals and accuse the dealer to have erred in making the correct ratio of the different ingredients used.
Nakuru Governor, Lee Kinyanjui on Friday, August 13, hit out at the national government over a lack of goodwill to end the illicit liquor consumption which claimed 10 lives in the county.
The governor promised that he would take matters into his own hands and mobilize residents across the county in a civilian crackdown on the illicit liquor that has consumed multiple lives.
