Police in Majengo, Nanyuki town on Friday, June 9, 2023, dramatically arrested a 99-year-old woman believed to be selling illicit brew and abetting a criminal gang.
Laikipia East Deputy Commissioner Patrick Muli stated that the old lady played sick when she learnt that the undercover visitors at her compound were police officers. She subsequently caused a tantrum and threatened to curse the officers noting that they would drop dead should they arrest her.
Despite her ranting and wailing, the officers made it through her house where they discovered the illicit brew stored in plastic bottles, crowbars believed to have been used in criminal activities, and 40 knives, 5 axes, 6 knives, padlocks, dozens of tea bags and her identity card.
“She claims to live alone in the house, what is the use of all these different crude weapons? The only logical conclusion is that she lends them to young criminals to terrorise people at night,” the police boss stated.
A female officer who had accompanied the multi-agency security team searched her and found four bottles of chang’aa hidden under her dress.
“You are my grandchildren and you dare molest a sickly old woman. You will all die soon,” she cursed.
The area locals claimed that the old lady has for a long time been ‘untouchable’, they claim that she was using magical charms on officers to evade arrest.
“I settled here in 2017 and found her in the business of selling chang’aa. Locals believe she has some magical charms that protect her from arrest by the police,” one local who spoke on condition of anonymity told a local publication.
Muli noted that in the past, it was difficult to arrest the old lady since the male officers were unable to search under her garments. He says that the old lady had threatened to curse anyone who dared expose her nakedness.
“In the past, police officers had an intelligence report that she was a chang’aa dealer. But it has always been difficult for our male law enforcement officers to get the evidence because she always hides the illegal rew under her clothes and threatens anyone who dares t expose her nakedness,” he stated.
