UNDERCOVER: Inside the Shadows of Bungoma’s Ethanol Trade

The winding roads of Bungoma County are silent witnesses to a dark and shadowy trade one that has now drawn blood. In the dead of night, Kamukunywa Ward MCA, Abraham Kimungui, known to his supporters as “Obama,” became the center of a storm when bullets rang out in Kimilili, leaving him wounded and a community in shock.

What began as a routine crackdown by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) quickly spiraled into a dramatic tale of allegations, counteraccusations, and whispered secrets of the ethanol underworld.

Scene of the Crime

On Wednesday night, chaos erupted in Mapera village. A convoy of over eight police vehicles pursued a lorry carrying an estimated 8,750 liters of ethanol. The chase culminated in a confrontation, where shots were fired, leaving the first-term MCA nursing a gunshot wound to his thigh.

According to Moffat Mang’era, the Mt. Elgon Sub-County Police Commander, the operation was a collaborative effort between KRA, DCI, and local police. The seized lorry, parked at Bungoma Police Station, revealed a twist: its license plates, upon verification, belonged to a different vehicle.

But the story doesn’t end there.

Politics and Police: A Deadly Mix

Speaking at the Bungoma County Assembly, Majority Leader Joseph Nyongesa painted a different picture a tale of betrayal, rivalry, and power plays.

“This wasn’t about enforcing the law; this was a targeted attack,” Nyongesa said, alleging that some police officers stationed in Bungoma are deeply entrenched in the lucrative ethanol trade.

Nyongesa claimed the shooting was an act of “unhealthy competition,” aimed at eliminating the MCA from the business. His accusations didn’t stop there. He called out the police for their silence, stating that assembly members were stonewalled when they sought answers at the station.

“Over eight police vehicles chasing one man? This wasn’t an arrest; this was an execution attempt,” Nyongesa charged.

The Ethanol Underworld

Bungoma has long been a hotspot for illegal ethanol trafficking. The high-stakes trade thrives in the shadows, feeding on corruption and collusion. Nyongesa’s allegations that police officers themselves are involved in the trade add fuel to an already explosive situation.

Sources close to the investigation hinted at the possibility of a broader network involving rogue officers, local officials, and businessmen. The lorry seized in Kimilili is just the tip of the iceberg.

A Community Divided

While the police maintain that their operation was above board, the narrative on the ground is far from unified. Kimungui’s supporters claim the MCA was ambushed, with three bullets fired at close range. One struck his thigh; another missed him by inches.

In contrast, the police allege that the MCA had mobilized armed goons to resist the operation.

“The officers were met with hostility, including crude weapons. This was not a simple case of an MCA caught in the wrong place at the wrong time,” Commander Mang’era explained.

The Fallout

Kimungui now lies in a hospital bed, transferred from Bungoma County Referral Hospital to Eldoret for specialized care. Meanwhile, the political corridors are abuzz with demands for justice.

Nyongesa and his colleagues have called on the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) to investigate the incident. They’ve also demanded the transfer of police officers who have overstayed in the region, accusing them of running illegal operations.

The human cost of this shadowy trade is evident not just in the bullet wounds carried by Kimungui but in the shattered trust between the public and those sworn to protect them.

The Bigger Picture

As the dust settles, the events in Kimilili raise deeper questions about governance, accountability, and the price of power.

In the world of ethanol smuggling, where profits run high and allegiances are murky, the line between enforcer and offender blurs. For the residents of Bungoma, the question remains: how many more will pay the price before the truth is laid bare?

This is more than just a story about an MCA it’s about a system on trial. Who will emerge unscathed? Only time will tell.