Day: March 16, 2023

A multi-agency security team on Wednesday raided an illegal alcohol plant operating at a residential house at Korosit village in the outskirts of Kericho town, recovering fake Kenya Revenue Stamps (KRA), ethanol and counterfeit alcohol totaling to over Sh 22 million. The 3pm incident was carried out by a team of security officers from agencies including Directorate of Criminal Investigations Nairobi (DCI), the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kericho Security team where three rolls of fake KRA stamps were recovered with a value of Sh 12 million in lost revenue, 763 cartons of assorted counterfeit alcoholic brands with a street value of Sh 3, 552,000 and three drums containing suspected Ethanol with an estimated value of Sh 7,230, 000. The brands of alcoholic drinks that were found packaged in the house include Best Vodka, Space Vodka, Smart Vodka, Venice Vodka, Tycoon Vodka, Cane Extra and Chrome Vodka and shockingly they bore stickers that indicated the brands were products of existing reputable and certified distillers and had valid Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) marks. Police are hot in pursuit of the plant owner who is said to have fled the police dragnet. Addressing the press, Kericho County Police Commander Rico Ngare said the plant might have been in operation illegally for a long time while describing the conditions in the premises as dirty and unhygienic, terming the syndicate a public health risk as it was not approved. ‘We have been trailing the suspect from March 3 following a tip off and today this is our breakthrough. The environment under which the illegal liquor is conducting operations is dirty and here we observe that the suspected liquid said to be Ethanol is mixed with water and the mixing is done without certified approximations,’ Ngare said. ‘Those behind this are using their own approximations and this is very dangerous and are using recycled bottles collected from bars after revelers empty the contents which are not adequately cleaned posing a health risk to consumers,’ he added. The Police Commander said three stamp rolls each having 24,000 KRA fake stamps were recovered, new assorted bottle tops and 763 cartons of assorted counterfeit alcohol valued at Sh 3, 552,000 had fake KRA stamps affixed on the bottles. They included 199 cartons of Best Vodka, 221 cartons of Space Vodka, 218 cartons of Smart Vodka, 65 cartons of Venice Vodka, 58 cartons of Tycoon vodka, one carton of Cane Extra vodka and one carton of Chrome vodka and thirteen drums each containing 250 litres of a liquid suspected to contain Ethanol worth Sh 7,230,000. The police boss confirmed the illegal alcohol plant had evaded taxes amounting to over Sh 12 million, revealing that KRA have taken up the case to establish the correct market value of the illegal liquors. He appealed to members of the public to give information on anyone brewing and selling the counterfeit liquor for the County to be free of these illegal substances which were destroying families and the young generations. When KNA visited the area, the team from KRA was busy documenting evidence from the residential premise which has been operating as an illegal alcohol plant disguised as a livestock farm where pigs, chicken, cows, rabbits were seen feeding in their respective wooden houses within the compound. On March 5, police in SoinSigowet sub-county within Kericho County arrested four suspects after they were found in possession of chang’aa and 5,000 litres of Kangara was destroyed in Chemogoch village.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Preparation to receive President William Ruto for interdenominational and thanks giving service in Nandi County is complete, according to the statement released by the umbrella of church leaders North Rift Region. During their press briefing at County Headquarters Office Ground on Wednesday, the leaders asked everyone from the region to join the President on Sunday during thanks giving prayers at Kapsabet Showground. The church leaders emphasised that there was need for Kenyans to insist on unity through prayer at a time when there were serious economic challenges aggravated by persistent drought in various parts of the country and global economic and political challenges which have had direct impact to the country’s stability. Led by the Right Rev Dr Paul Korir, Anglican Church of Kenya, Diocese of Kapsabet, the leaders assured neighbouring counties that they were welcome to receive President on Sunday after several days of preparation. Korir revealed that the church leaders especially from Nandi and Uasin Gishu Counties have jointly worked together through meetings, phone and social media engagements to ensure their unity stands as they jointly wait the President. According to the church leaders present during the press briefing, despite existence of different churches in the region, the level of unity when it comes to common communal engagement has been truly remarkable. The ACK minister however asked Kenyans to continue praying at the time some regions witness rain after several months of drought. He asked residents from areas receiving rains to utilise it and increase food production in the country. Meanwhile, Nandi County Outgoing County Commissioner Herman Shambi has confirmed that all are set to receive the President on Sunday during the interdenominational and thanksgiving service at Kapsabet Showground.

Source: Kenya News Agency

The Nation Media Group in partnership with Small Medium-Sized Enterprises (SME’s) and other stakeholders Wednesday hosted the 4th Edition SMEs conference and expo 2023 themed ‘Accelerating the SMEs growth through adoption of technology and innovation’. The forum seeks to digitize and sustain the SMEs through empowering young digital entrepreneurs by creating jobs and driving Kenya’s economic growth thus boosting Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product. Speaking at the conference, Kenya National Chamber of Commerce and Industry President Richard Ngatia said that Kenya has had an active promotional growth of both Small and Medium Sized Enterprises through various initiatives including the establishment of digital and innovative groups. ‘Empowering young digital entrepreneurs in Kenya is not just about creating jobs and driving economic growth; it’s about building innovative ecosystems that pave the way for a brighter digital future,’ stated Ngatia. At the same time, Nation Media Group Chief Executive Officer Stephen Gitagama stated that this year, they have introduced new features such as Kenya SME’s Square which will create visibility for businesses and open new markets. The CEO added that they have evolved with platforms like Electronic paper at the Nation Media Group. On the other hand, Kenya National Federation of Juakali Associations Richard Muteti said that the success of MSMEs relies on deliberate efforts to support their growth and development noting that embracing technology and innovation can empower small businesses to reach their full potential. Muteti urged both the government and stakeholders to maintain such forums that will benefit small businesses in the future. The SME’S Conference and Expo is set to run from Wednesday 15th March to Friday 17th March 2023.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Turkana County Commissioner Mr. Jacob Ouma has called for a multi sectoral approach to address high levels of child labour along Lake Turkana. Ouma was responding to concerns by heads of departments in the national government who had expressed concerns over the high numbers of children involved in fishing and related activities in Lake Turkana. ‘Child labour is a time bomb which if left unchecked it will fuel insecurity in future,’ said Ouma. He had convened a meeting with departmental heads in his office on Thursday. Kenya Fisheries Service Assistant Director Mr. Jospeh Kasuti cited child labour and use of unapproved fishing nets as some of the challenges facing his department. ‘Child labour is rampant along the lake, we do not encourage it and we only issue licenses to persons above 18 years,’ said Kasuti. The Assistant Director said the lake has a potential to produce 30,000 metric tonnes of fish annually yet only 7,000 to 10,000 metric tonnes of fish are harvested annually and at the same time decried the post-harvest losses which accounted for 35 percent of fish caught in the lake. ‘Lake Turkana has over 60 species of fish, yet only 19 species are harvested. Tilapia and Nile perch are the most harvested species,’ he added. Poor infrastructure and lack of electricity were also blamed for the low levels of exploitation of the lake and fishing sector. Use of undersized nets is another challenge in the sector. Kasuti said 40 illegal nets were recently impounded and 11 suspects arrested The Embassy of Netherlands last week pledged a 10 million pounds’ donation to exploit Lake Turkana which is shared by Turkana and Marsabit Counties. In a meeting with stakeholders including officers from Turkana and Marsabit Counties, Dutch Ambassador to Kenya Maarten Brouwer announced that his country will invest pound 10 million for five years. The Embassy has committed to supporting a co-finance of quick interventions as well as a long-term programme for sustainable development of the value chain.

Source: Kenya News Agency

Meru county commissioner, Fred Ndunga has launched a multi-sectoral campaign programme against Gender Based Violence (GBV) in the county. Speaking to the public at the Meru Teaching and Referral Hospital during the launch, Ndunga said reported GBV cases were on an upward trend in all the sub-counties. Ndunga said the current status was a wakeup call for all players in the health and public security sector to intensify campaigns against the vice aimed at realising a friendly environment in which people of all ages can live without fear of being victims of GBV. The administrator said the information was drawn from cases reported in police stations and health facilities across the county, pointing out that the cases could be more since some of them go unreported due to pressure and influence beyond the control of the victims. He urged all deputy county commissioners in the county to commit to mobilizing other national government administrative officers in their areas of jurisdiction to intensify public sensitization and participation in catching up with GBV perpetrators for them to face the full force of the law. The county administrator said people of all walks of life had a personal responsibility to guard against GBV, saying everybody in the society was a potential victim of the vice, contrary to times when it was thought to only affect the poor and marginalized members of the community. ‘It is possible to have people suffering from GBV within the elite families as well as those perceived to be the richest in the society.’ Ndunga said. Ndunga said chiefs and their assistant chiefs should be more proactive and remain on high alert as they work in close liaison with the area managers, Nyumba kumi committees and the larger community members to have all GBV perpetrators flashed out and brought to book. He regretted that incest was a common trend in the county, where such cases tend to go unreported as the victims were more often than not compromised or threatened with dire consequences upon reporting to the authorities. The administrator further cautioned anybody entrusted with the task of containing the vice in the county against any form of compromise by the perpetrators or their relatives, saying nobody should be left free to continue perpetrating the vice while their victims were suffering from trauma among other GBV effects.

Source: Kenya News Agency