One suspect has been taken into police custody in relation to the seizure of ethanol along the Nakuru-Nairobi highway.
The Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) said in a statement Tuesday evening the suspect was arrested by a combined team of detectives from DCI headquarters and Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officers.
The detectives said the arrest followed an intelligence-led operation that led to the interception of two tanker trucks carrying the suspected ethanol and the apprehension of one driver.
“Acting on a tip-off regarding tanker trucks transporting ethanol from Mai Mahiu to Nairobi, the multi-agency team promptly located the tankers parked in a garage in the Limuru Kamiruthu area,” the DCI said in the statement.
“One driver was arrested while the other managed to evade capture. The arrested driver was taken to Capital Hill police station for processing pending arraignment, while both lorries are being securely guarded at the garage by officers as the search for the elusive driver is underway.”
Ethanol is a clear, colourless liquid with a characteristic pleasant odour and burning taste. It is highly flammable.
It is used as a topical agent to prevent skin infections, in pharmaceutical preparations, cosmetics, and perfumes.
It is also used as an industrial solvent for fats, oils, waxes, resins, and hydrocarbons.
In Kenya, the use of ethanol is highly controlled to prevent its misuse as part of efforts to combat illegal alcohol production.
This is after rogue traders have been found to mix the liquid with illicit brew in a bid to make them more potent.
In March this year, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) introduced stringent measures for ethanol manufacturers and importers to ensure ethanol intended for industrial purposes undergoes an additional industrial process to deter its misuse.
The national standardisation body directed that henceforth, manufacturers of ethanol intended for industrial use must denature it before releasing it from their premises.
The denaturation involves modifying the molecular structure of the industrial liquid by adding specific chemicals to make it unsavoury and therefore unsuitable for consumption.
Normally, benzoate is used to give ethanol a foul odour, thereby dissuading rogue traders from adding it to illicit alcohol as it would give the drinks a bitter taste.
In the directive dated March 26, 2024, Kebs said the introduction of the new measures was in alignment with government efforts to eliminate illicit brew production, which has previously claimed lives, left some users blind and caused potency among young men.
