Police officers pour out seized kangara during a raid in Soweto, Kahawa West, Nairobi. / HANDOUTThe National Police Service has intensified operations against illicit brew and narcotics, with coordinated raids in Mombasa, Kilifi, and Nairobi counties.
The operations have resulted in arrests and the seizure and destruction of illegal substances.
The latest operations targeted suspected brewing dens and drug distribution points as police moved to disrupt the production, storage, and distribution of substances considered unlawful under Kenyan law.
In Jomvu, Mombasa County, officers from Mikindani Police Station, working alongside National Government Administration Officers, raided the Bangladesh area, where they arrested one suspect and recovered 120 litres of illicit brew.
The suspect was placed in police custody pending processing and arraignment in court, according to the National Police Service.
The operation in Mombasa forms part of the wider police campaign against illegal alcohol production. Under the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, the production, sale and distribution of alcoholic drinks must be carried out in accordance with a licence, while the law also provides for measures aimed at eliminating illicit trade in alcohol.
In Kilifi County, officers in Malindi raided a residential property in the Kwa-Abudu area, where they arrested two suspects believed to be linked to a suspected drug distribution network.
Police recovered a sack containing 140 rolls of cannabis, together with a digital weighing machine and assorted clear packaging materials, during the operation.
The two suspects were taken to Malindi Police Station and remained in custody pending processing and arraignment, while the recovered items were secured as exhibits.
Cannabis is listed as a prohibited plant under Kenya's narcotics law, which also criminalises unlawful possession, production, transportation, sale and distribution of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances.
In Nairobi, officers from Kahawa West Police Station mounted a targeted operation in the Soweto area, focusing on infrastructure used in the production of illicit alcohol.
The operation led to the destruction of 1,500 litres of Kangara and 35 litres of Chang'aa, alongside various items of equipment used in illegal brewing.
The three operations illustrate the different fronts of the ongoing enforcement campaign, from dismantling brewing sites to intercepting suspected drug distribution networks.
The National Police Service has repeatedly used multi-agency operations and intelligence from members of the public in its efforts to disrupt illicit alcohol and narcotics networks.
In July, similar operations across Kiambu, Nairobi and Bungoma resulted in arrests and the recovery and destruction of illicit alcohol and cannabis.
The Service has also previously reported large-scale operations against illegal alcohol, including a January 2026 crackdown in Kakamega and Vihiga that saw officers destroy 50,000 litres of Kangara, recover 350 litres of Chang'aa and dismantle 613 brewing apparatus.
The NPS has reaffirmed that the crackdown will continue across the country as officers target the production, distribution and consumption of illicit brews and narcotic drugs.
The latest raids add to the continuing enforcement campaign as police seek to dismantle illegal brewing operations and suspected narcotics networks across different parts of the country.
Rolls of cannabis recovered by police during a raid on a residential property in the Kwa-Abudu area, Malindi. / HANDOUT
A police officer spills out illicit brew from metal drums during a raid on brewing infrastructure in the Soweto area of Kahawa West, Nairobi. / HANDOUT
A police officer uses a spade to tip over metal drums and spill out steaming, illegal brew during a crackdown in Soweto, Kahawa West, Nairobi. / HANDOUT
