Mombasa leaders denounce police harassment of mnazi sellers

A section of Mombasa politicians have accused county administrators and police of harassing mnazi (palm wine) sellers.

Nyali MP Hezron Awiti accused police of constantly harassing the traders and arresting them arbitrarily.

The palm wine trade is the biggest economic activity for ordinary residents of the coast, according to the MP.

Kadzandani Ward representative Mohamed Ndanda accused police of failing to tackle insecurity in the region while only concentrating on sellers.

He claimed six youths were killed recently by gangs riding motorcycles, who, despite being reported to police, were never arrested.

“We positively identified the killers and reported them to the police, but they failed to make any arrests.

“Instead, they (police) harass and arrest mnazi traders and confiscate their wine. They arrest innocent people claiming they are drug dealers,” he said.

SWOOPS TO GO ON

However, Kisauni Deputy County Commissioner Julius Kaviti dismissed the politicians as popularity seekers, and vowed that swoops on palm wine sellers would continue.

The administrator said the sellers were operating in unhygienic places that were also dens for criminals.

The leaders spoke on Thursday at Mbungoni Comprehensive Care Clinic Catholic Dispensary in Kisauni, which was built by the Japanese government at a cost of Sh10.1 million.

Japanese Ambassador to Kenya Tatsushi Terada handed over the hospital to Bishop Paul Kariuki of the Embu Diocese, who is the chairman of the Catholic Health Commission.

Mr Kaviti said although the Alcohol Act allowed drinking only between 2pm and 11pm, many residents were drinking for 24 hours.

He said many people had complained that they could not sleep peacefully because of noise from the palm wine dens.

“Every homestead in this area has been turned into a mnazi den.

“Furthermore, the centres are illegal, not inspected by officials of the department of health, and unhygienic,” he said.