139 bottles of illicit alcohol nabbed in Uasin Gishu County
By Nancy Marende, January 7, 2026Security officers in Uasin Gishu County have seized 139 bottles of illicit alcohol and arrested four suspects in a renewed crackdown on illegal brews.
In a statement on Wednesday, January 7, 2026, the Kenya Police Service revealed that illegal alcohol, packaged in bottles labelled with popular brands including Best Gin and Smart Vodka, was recovered from three bars during a coordinated operation by law enforcement agencies.
“The fight against illegal brew has been bolstered by the nabbing of 139 bottles of illicit alcohol packaged in Best Gin and Smart Vodka bottles from 3 bars, arresting 4 suspects in Uasin Gishu County. The push to end illicit brews is being upscaled,” read the statement in part.
Illicit brew seized in Uasin Gishu
This comes a few months after police in Uasin Gishu arrested two persons of interest and recovered litres of illicit brew after intercepting their car.
In a statement on Saturday, November 22, 2025, the National Police Service (NPS) confirmed the arrest.
According to NPS, the two were netted following a well-choreographed operation staged by officers from Baharini Police Station. They were waylaid after the officers intercepted a vehicle they were using to ferry chang’aa in several jerrycans.
Upon inspection, they seized the 100 litres of the illicit brew.
“The occupants of the vehicle were arrested and are now in custody, awaiting processing and arraignment in court. The exhibits have been securely stored at the police facility,” NPS stated.
The security officers appreciated the public for helping in arresting the duo by sharing timely information about their movement.
“The National Police Service thanks the public for their timely and reliable information, which led to the successful operation and arrests.”