The Mountain Journal
editor@themountainjournal.co.ke
A Kenol court handed an investor behind the manufacture of sub standard liquor to four years in prison or pay a fine of Sh 9.2 million.
The court handed Dennis Mururi Kamande the sentence after he was found guilty of multiple offences related to the illegal manufacture and possession of alcoholic products and counterfeit excise stamps.
The trial resident magistrate Renna Jakinda handed the sentence on June 10 upon the conclusion of the trial that commenced in 2023.
In her ruling, Ms Jakinda found that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt after presenting evidence from 11 witnesses presented by the prosecutor Ms. Peris Gathu.
The counts were six charges related to the Excise Duty Act, 2015 and the Anti-Counterfeit Act, 2008 that he was found manufacturing excisable goods without a valid excise duty licence.
Possessing excisable goods obtained in contravention of the law, possessing alcoholic products affixed with counterfeit excise stamps, and trading in counterfeit goods.
During the trial, the court heard that on September 21, 2023, detectives raided a house at New Farm Village along the Markfirst–Kwa Jimmy Road in Ithanga/Kakuzi Sub-County, Murang’a County, that had been converted to a distillery.
In an operation, by a multi-agency team, Kamande was found manufacturing and storing alcoholic products without the required licence.
The prosecution informed the court, during the operation, 60 bottles and 287 cans of various alcohol brands, 320 litres of ethanol, and one reel of counterfeit excise stamps were recovered.
 Photo/Assistant Inspector General of the Police David Mathiu Kainga.
The prosecution lauded the sentence saying it demonstrates its continued commitment to cracking down on illegal manufacturing, counterfeit goods, and other economic crimes that threaten public health, safety, and fair trade.Â
The substandard liquor was intercepted in an operation led by the former Murang’a County Police Commander now the Assistant Inspector General of the Police David Mathiu Kainga.
In Juja, the residents celebrated the judgement as some of the sub standard liquor found their way into the local outlets in Juja among other areas in Kiambu and Murang’a..
