Police in Homa Bay have intensified crackdown on bhang planted in Gwasi hills with over 40 acres of the outlawed crop having been uprooted and destroyed so far in an ongoing operations within Gwasi forest.

Gwasi forest is a gazetted water tower covering over 6000 acres in Suba South Constituency.

In the ongoing operation led by Suba Sub County Deputy County Commissioner Sebastian Okiring over 40 acres of bhang were discovered on top of the hill.

The latest discovery was on Saturday where the officers discovered 5 acres of bhang after getting a tip off from members of the public who revealed to authorities that the illegal crops were planted in various parts of the hills.

It took several hours for the officers to get to the fields. Okiring says that they have conducted operations in various parts of Gwasi Hills in the last two weeks and discovered over 40 acres of the illegal crop. 

The DCC says they have set up two camps at the foot of Gwasi hills (Kinchororio and Kithereka areas) with an intention of clearing all the illegal crops planted in various parts of the hills.

He says they are working with other government agencies and non-state actors to start massive tree planting in areas where they have uprooted the bhang adding that they are also working closely with the Kenya Forest Service (KFS) to establish their camps in Gwasi hills to protect it against encroachment.