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Drama ensued at a liquor den in Uasin Gishu County when angry customers overpowered four police officers before locking them up inside a house belonging to a woman linked to chang’aa business.

The unruly mob started throwing stones and other objects at the officers who were holed up in the two bed roomed house accusing them of targeting their area every time they carried out crackdowns on illicit alcohol.

The puzzling incident took place at the notorious King’ong’o informal settlement area on the outskirt of Eldoret town where the officers had made impromptu raids to various dens following a tip off from the public.

Illicit alcohol

Fearing for their lives in the hands of the charged mob, the cornered officers were forced to make frantic calls to their seniors who responded immediately by dispatching a contingent of anti-riot police officers in a lorry to the scene of the incident.

County Police Commander Benjamin Mwanthi said they managed to rescue the officers who had been held hostage for 30 minutes in the house of a woman connected to brewing and consumption of the illicit liquor in the area.

Speaking to the media in his office, Mwanthi said that police officers seized over 300 litres of illicit brew from the female suspect’s house before arresting her.

“We thank God that the angry mob did not set ablaze the house where our officers were being held hostage, otherwise we could be talking another story,” said Mwanthi.

He added that the security team made another impromptu raid on the suspect’s male neighbour where they seized over 200 litres of illicit brew as hundreds of members of the public watched the unfolding drama from a distance.

On learning about the crackdown by a team of more than 50 police officers in the area other brewers escaped on foot in the nearby expansive land under maize plantation while others took off on motor bikes to avoid being arrested.