Patiala Distillers K Limited, the producer of Fly Horse Gin and Diamond Ice alcoholic beverages, has vowed to pursue legal recourse against Mathira Member of Parliament Eric Wamumbi and Nyeri’s Wahome Wamatinga.
This is on grounds that the two legislators staged led and staged a raid accompanied a group of locals to the Mathira East Deputy County Commissioner’s office, where they destroyed creates of alcoholic beverages valued at KES 6 million, held as exhibits.
The residents cited concern that the liquor may be clandestinely released into the market. Police had seized the condemned alcohol during an operation in Karatina town labelling the brand of the confiscated alcohol as counterfeit.
On February 20, Patiala Distillers says it distributed 400 crates of ‘Diamond Ice’ and 1,000 cartons of ‘Flying Horse’ alcohol brands to a licensed distributor in the region. In a letter to IPOA, the distiller adds that the alcohol was then confiscated by Deputy County Commissioner (DCC) on February 21, on grounds that it was unfit for human consumption.
“An inventory was carried out at Mathira Police station and the alcohol was taken into lawful custody, the DCCs office. After analysis, government agencies including the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Bureau of Standards and the Anti-Counterfeit Agency did their separate analysis and gave the alcohol a clean bill of health,” Patiala Distillers say.
The distillery informed the IPOA that MP Wamumbi and Wamatinga were accompanied and shielded by police officers while they subsequently orchestrated the vandalism of the property on February 26.
“It is equally evident that the Mathira lawmaker, Hon Eric Wamumbi and the Nyeri Senator Hon. Wahome Wamatinga exploited law enforcement officers to destroy property in lawful custody, against our client’s interests, actions which have instilled immense fear for loss to our client and the many Kenyans who depend on the company as a source of livelihood,” the distiller adds.
While calling on IPOA to investigate and take action against the police officer, Patilia has said it intends to sue the two MPs for the same. Through lawyer Danstan Omari, Patiala has defended its products saying that they are good for human consumption and meet all standard requirements by regulators such as KEBS and KRA.
