Bhang, contraband alcoholic drinks worth Sh3.5 million destroyed in Isiolo

Some 120 kilogrammes of bhang exhibits and hundreds of litres of counterfeit alcoholic drinks and illicit brew worth Sh3.5 million have been destroyed at Isiolo Law Courts on the conclusion of multiple court cases.

The contraband drinks were seized by officers from the Kenya Revenue Authority as their excise duty had not been paid for while the illicit liquor was nabbed during the ongoing State's crackdown on second-generation liquor.

Isiolo Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Musango who led the exercise together with Chief Magistrate Lucy Mutai said the destruction was to serve as a warning to the drug traffickers and illicit brewers that the law will catch up with them.

"The government remains committed in the fight against drugs and illicit alcohol," he said, hailing the Judiciary for enforcing heavy penalties on drug traffickers.

Sh3.5 million bhang set on fire at Isiolo Law Courts on July 9, 2024 following the conclusion of various cases. (Handout)

Lamenting the negative impacts of drugs on the welfare and mental well-being of the youth, Magistrate Mutai challenged young people to desist drug indulgence and seek gainful economic activities to uplift their lives.

"The destruction is meant to ensure the drugs do not find their way back to the market. We are committed to ensuring we have a society free of drugs," she said.

Isiolo Deputy County Secretary Mohammed Boru said drugs such as bhang had found themselves in local schools affecting learning, due to the proliferation of the narcotics that are mostly sneaked into the country via the porous Kenya-Ethiopia border.

"We are committed to working with various actors including the national government in the fight against narcotics and illicit brew because they are detrimental to the health of our people," he said.

The county government, he said, was undertaking robust sensitisation on the negative impacts of drugs and substance abuse through the youth department.

"Drug abuse remains a major concern, especially within our urban centres and requires a multisectoral approach to eradicate the menace," Mohammed said.

County Interfaith Network Secretary Stephen Kalunyu hailed the security team and Judiciary for their collaboration in dealing with the drug menace.

"We call for stern action against the traffickers and dealers so that drugs are inaccessible to the youth who are the most affected by addiction," he said.