Police in Kiambu County have pointed an accusing finger at the ODPP for allegedly being the weakest link in the fight against illicit brew, drug and substance abuse.
Addressing the press in Thika after netting bhang and illicit brew in Thika sub-county, Kiambu County Police commander Perminus Kioi lamented that despite police relentlessly doing their job of arresting and arraigning suspects in courts of law, they felt let down when these apprehended suspects were released and subsequently came to intimidated the officers that had arrested them.
Nonetheless, Kioi asserted that he would not allow anybody to intimidate his officers. He sent a stern warning to members of the public with a taste of threatening officers doing their jobs. He made it clear that they would be met with the full force of the law.
Kioi attributes the easy release of suspects to leniency by the ODPP. He accused the office of not bringing to the attention of the courts the criminal records of suspects as most of those released have previous convictions.
According to Kioi, high cash bails, hefty fines and long-time sentencing of frequent drug dealer suspects are the only way to put an end to the scourge.
The sleuth police boss called on all stakeholders in the criminal justice system including the judiciary, ODPP, county administration and the police to combine synergies to end the endemic cancer that is illicit brew and drug abuse once and for all.
During the presser, Kioi confirmed that in the last two days in Thika sub-county only, his officers had netted bhang and illicit brew worth Ksh 915,000 consequently apprehending over 30 suspects.