A major operation targeting narcotics and illicit alcohol networks in Kakamega has resulted in the arrest of two suspects and the destruction of over 105,000 litres of contraband brews. The multi-agency crackdown, spearheaded by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), dealt a decisive blow to criminal syndicates operating in the Sigalagala area.
The security teams raided several hotspots believed to be supplying students of Sigalagala National Polytechnic with cannabis and illegal liquor. One of the arrests included an alleged main supplier of cannabis sativa, while another suspect was nabbed at a brewing site.
Alongside the arrests, the teams dismantled five major brewing dens located along the banks of River Yala. Here, more than 5,000 litres of chang’aa and 100,000 litres of a notorious local brew known as “Sigalagala” were destroyed. The large-scale haul underscores the scale of the illegal trade that has taken root in the area.
NACADA leadership described the crackdown as part of the government’s ongoing 100-Day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI), a nationwide drive to combat drug abuse and illicit alcohol consumption. Authorities stressed that this was not a one-off event but part of a wider, sustained campaign against those profiting from addiction.
Strong warnings were issued to traffickers and brewers, with NACADA affirming that the fight against substance abuse would be intensified. The agency vowed to dismantle every network, raid every illegal den, and pursue every individual involved in the trade, insisting that no stone would be left unturned in efforts to protect young people from addiction.
Officials also praised the success of inter-agency collaboration in making the operation possible. By combining the efforts of NACADA, the Administration Police, and other partners, the operation managed to deliver a significant disruption to criminal activities in Sigalagala.
The crackdown represents a broader determination by the government to reclaim communities from the grip of drug and alcohol abuse. NACADA pledged that further raids will follow, promising that the destruction of the seized illicit brews was only the beginning of an intensified fight to safeguard Kenya’s future generations.
