Nyahururu — Administrators in Nyahururu, Laikipia County have expressed concerns over packaging of chang'aa in empty branded liquor bottles disguised as normal alcohol and later sold in local bars.

This, they said, have made their efforts of fighting the illicit brew futile as the licensing of bars is under the county government.

Speaking in Chamanek forest after a successful operation of destroying over 5000 litres of kangara, Maina village senior chief Muraya Waithaka, said that they had destroyed the temporary distillery set up by the brewers.

The operation was a joint operation with the Kenya forestry service.

Muraya regretted that the chang'aa is mixed with ethanol and repackaged then sold in licensed bars but they are restricted from conducting raids in bars as they fall under the jurisdiction of County governments.

He urged the county government and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) to be randomly testing alcohol being sold in bars and especially in informal settlement areas.

On his side, Chamanek forest station manager, John Macharia, said that the greatest challenge they are facing is understaffing whereas the forest is vast that the brewers know some remote areas of the forest.

He said that they are always searching the donkeys transporting farm produce saying in the past they have intercepted some donkeys sued to transport the illicit brews and its raw materials.

The forest manager added that they will intensify their forest patrols to deter the brewers from accessing the forest.

In the last one month, over 100000 litres of illicit brew has been destroyed by chiefs with brewers shifting their operations to deep inside the forests around Nyahururu Sub County. - Kna