Lugari Deputy County Commissioner Moses Gicharu has banned distribution and selling of molasses until the dealers get operation permits from the Sugar Directorate as part of a strategy to control illicit brewing deeply seated in the Sub County.
The DCC directed police and other relevant security agencies to ensure motorbikes and vehicles used in transporting molasses and processed outlawed liquor are arrested.
Gicharu says the intelligent reports indicated that continued high consumption of illicit brew is contributed by chang’aa making using molasses being sold in the Sub-County.
“This outlawed brewing is heavily enhanced by the presence of so many molasses selling points,” said Gicharu.
The DCC warned that security agencies will mount heavy crackdown on local brewers, consumers and those who aid outlawed brewing production until success is achieved.
He however, pleaded with the leadership to educate the locals on dangers of illicit brewing including its contribution to high level of poverty and crime rates.
Gicharu insisted that rising cases of parental irresponsibility, poverty, crime and dropping levels of school national exam performance in the area was heavily contributed by continued consumption of illicit brewing together with other outlawed drugs.
He however, promised that the government will continue with empowerment of communities to start legal businesses.
He revealed that National Government Affirmative Action Funds, Uwezo Funds and Women Enterprise Funds are among channels the government is using to ensure people at the lower levels get funding to begin legal businesses.