The Nyumba Kumi initiative in Amagoro, Teso North subcounty, has said it will target and even arrest chiefs, assistant chiefs and other government officials found visiting chang’aa dens.
Initiative members claimed most administrators are partakers of the illicit brew.
Newly elected Amagoro location Nyumba Kumi chairperson Mark Wesonga said they are committed to supporting government efforts to eradicate illicit brews and strengthen grassroots security networks.
“Charity begins at home and no one will be spared in the campaign against illicit brews and insecurity. Drinking chang’aa has its own consequences. If I find any chief or assistant chief in a chang’aa den, I will arrest them,” he said.
Wesonga spoke during a meeting with Nyumba Kumi members, village managers and security agencies at the DIDC Hall in Amagoro.
The meeting resolved that Nyumba Kumi members would undergo formal training and be issued with official name tags to enhance their public presence.
Wesonga urged landlords and the business community to cooperate with Nyumba Kumi by knowing their tenants and reporting suspicious individuals.
“Landlords must be able to supply information about their tenants any time they are required for security reasons,” he said.
Cynthia Mungiri from Amagoro police patrol base cited poor communication as one of the challenges facing the initiative and called for thorough vetting of Nyumba Kumi officials to ensure individuals with criminal records are not elected to leadership positions.
“We are all not perfect, but there should be thorough vetting during elections to ensure those chosen to serve in Nyumba Kumi are people of integrity,” she said.
Malaba police station OC crime inspector Stephen Lokitok, who represented OCS Charles Juma, backed Wesonga’s position, saying the crackdown should include even police officers found engaging in illicit activities.
He urged chiefs and their assistants to tighten scrutiny of Ugandan nationals seeking employment as farmhands or domestic workers before allowing them to work in Kenya.
“You must ensure such people have recommendation letters from their respective Local Council One (LC1) authorities,” Lokitok added.
He urged Nyumba Kumi members to help identify cases of teenage cohabitation and child marriage and report them immediately for action.
Lokitok encouraged the business community to work closely with trusted Nyumba Kumi members to safeguard businesses and cargo, noting that improved vigilance had significantly reduced incidents involving long-distance trucks.
He said some drivers of fuel tankers crossing the Kenya-Uganda border stage-manage accidents to conceal devious actions.
“Investigations into a recent crash involving a fuel tanker at Ikapolok indicate it was intended to conceal evidence of fuel siphoning that had taken place elsewhere and make it appear as a road accident,” Lokitok said.
He announced that police would soon launch an operation targeting motorcycles fitted with coloured headlights, saying they pose a danger to motorists, cyclists and pedestrians.
