Nacada sting operation nabs contraband alcohol near school in Mombasa

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Juma Sakwa, a resident of Kongowea in Mombasa county, is a shocked man.

He says he is lucky to be alive after realising the alcohol he has been consuming may have been sub-standard.

“I have heard stories of people going blind, others dying because of consuming illicit alcohol. Due to fear, I resorted to only drinking alcohol in sealed bottles and of known brands,” Sakwa explained on Thursday.

He spoke to the Star after getting information his favourite joint was one of six outlets that have been hit by a multi-agency team led by Nacada CEO Anthony Omerikwa in connection with contraband alcohol.

All six outlets belong to one individual who has been in the business for more than seven years.

The operation revealed a network of shadowy individuals who collude with unscrupulous alcohol dealers who have connections with manufacturers of illicit alcohol.

Four people were arrested in connection with the contraband alcohol that has been on sale in Kongowea, and its surrounding areas.

Worse still, the illicit alcohol is stored in a compound that shares a boundary wall with a primary school.

This risks exposing the learners to the illicit alcohol.

More than 40 boxes of the contraband alcohol was nabbed in a dingy compound.

“We have nabbed a sizeable amount of alcohol. Some have fake KRA stamps. Others have KRA stamp mismatch,” Omerikwa said.

He said some of the packaging boxes are produced by companies that are not licensed.

“Some of the companies’ licenses were cancelled last year but one (in 2024),” the Nacada CEO said.

Some of the arrested individuals were also selling single cigarettes sticks.

Section 18 (1) of The Tobacco Control Act, 2007 strictly prohibits the sale of single cigarette sticks.

It says: “No person shall sell cigarettes except in a package containing at least 10 cigarettes, or such other minimum number of cigarettes, not being less than 10, as may be prescribed.”

Although illegal, this practice remains common in many retail areas.

Offenders face fines up to Sh50,000 or up to six months in prison.

Nacada says this is to discourage the sale of cigarettes to children.

CEO Omerikwa said some of the arrested were also found with pharmaceutical drugs, including pain killers that they were hawking to Kongowea residents.

“Mine is to appeal to the public to report any individual who sells alcohol near schools. The individual whose outlets we have shut down has a store that shares a boundary wall with a primary school,” the CEO said.

This violates the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010, commonly known as the Mututho Laws, which prohibits

“Even where the store is, there are tenants who live there with young kids who live within the same compound where alcohol is dispensed, which is against the law,” Omerikwa said.

He called on the public to use the Nacada toll free line 1192 to report any such cases or report to the nearest police station.

“This was an intelligence-led operation. The public was very cooperative. They are tired of the deceit of these unscrupulous business people,” Omerikwa said.

The CEO said the value of the nabbed contraband is yet to be determined as investigations were ongoing by the time of going press.

The seizing of the contraband alcohol comes barely two weeks after a similar operation in Ahero, Kisumu county nabbed bhang worth millions near Ahero Girls secondary school.

“It is becoming a trend. Opening outlets or selling alcohol near schools. We don’t know their mission,” Omerikwa said.

He said the operation is ongoing following a directive from President William Ruto who wants the sale and consumption of drugs and alcohol to be a thing of the past.

Omerikwa said they have put a strategy in place to deal with the menace of hard drugs in the country.

He said the strategy involves trying to prevent the entry of the hard drugs into the country.

“When you hear little or no cases of hard drugs, it is most likely because they have been prevented from entering the country,” Omerikwa said.