On 20th June 2023, the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kesses, in Uasin Gishu County, led an operation cracking down on illicit brews in the area.
The move aimed at curbing the rampant sprouting of illicit brew dens at Rehema Estate, Outspan, and was highly welcomed by area residents. It was a coordinated effort between village elders, Nyumba Kumi members, and police officers from Kesses Police Station.
Little did the villagers know, however, that it was merely a PR stunt by the OCS, aimed at hoodwinking the residents that the police were fighting the menace.
On 5th July 2023, the same OCS, whose name is Irene, did an about-turn and arrested the village elders, remanding them at Kesses Police Station. She went ahead to deny them their right to cash bail.
They were arraigned on 6th July 2023 at the Eldoret Law Courts, to face trumped-up charges of malicious damage of property, grievous harm, and causing a disturbance.
The case was heard the same day, and my dad was among the other nyumba kumi members who were arraigned. We had sourced the services of an advocate to represent them, which he did very well, and all the charges were dismissed by the magistrate. She released all the defendants.
This did not go well with the OCS and she told the defendants that she would not respect the ruling. She then called for more armed police officers to come to the law courts and, when they arrived, my dad and the other defendants were forcefully rounded up and thrown into the police Landcruiser. They were taken to Kesses Police Station, where they were forced to pay a cash bail of Ksh 3,000 each and told to report back to the same court on Tuesday 11th July at 8.00 am. On 11th July, they were charged with assault and released on a cash bail of Ksh 50,000 each.
The Nyumba Kumi elders claim that the complainant in the case, John Njuguna Mburu, was present during the illicit brews operation. He impersonated a police officer and pretended to have a gun. When he removed his weapon, it turned out to be a panga which he used to injure one of the villagers who was destroying the illicit brews. He was subsequently beaten up by a mob of villagers for injuring one of them. The OCS Kesses, Irene, was present and she took away the panga that had been used to harm the resident.
The Nyumba Kumi members are being framed because the complainant’s mother is a leading chang’aa brewer and seller in the area. The police receive bribes from her to protect her illegal business.