(VIDEO): Police raid bhang farm in Nyandarua, residents not happy
Nyandarua Police on Monday raided a farm belonging to a 59-year-old farmer at Kambirwa Village, Ol Kalou Constituency where they uprooted flourishing bhang estimated to be worth Sh700, 000.
In an interesting twist, the residents expressed displeasure with the police raid, saying the crop was doing better at the farm and had better market value than Irish potato and dairy farming which are the main Nyandarua cash crops.
Admiring the enticing health crop at Ol Kalou police station, the residents blamed the police for destroying such a flourishing crop that would have earned the farmer handsomely, adding that the government should legalize growing the weed.
“This old man was doing better growing the weed, he must have spent a fortune taking care of his crop which was doing better than Irish potato on his farm and those of the neighbours. He is better than those killing people at Shakahola, he wanted to earn a decent living, but the police have killed that dream, this crop should be legalised,” said a resident.
Nyandarua Central Police Commander Stella Cherono said the raid was conducted after a complaint by a resident who informed the police about the crop.
“A good Samaritan concerned about the contraband growing on the farm informed us about it leading to the raid. The crop is ruining the lives of many young men. What we uprooted today was meant for circulation in many parts of the country, you can imagine the damage that one man would have caused the society,” Cherono said.
The police boss, who lead the operation said the officers uprooted 2, 500 plants of the weed planted at a strategic part of the farm, surrounded by other crops to conceal the growing contraband.
“We thank the members of the public for sharing the information with others, I appeal to the public to always share that information with us which will be treated with confidence. The success on war against drugs is succeeding in Nyandarua Central due to better working relations between the police and the community,” said the police boss.
Video/Waikwa Maina