More than 200 children arrested on Mashujaa Day at Jerry City discotheque on Dubois Road in downtown Nairobi were yesterday produced before a Milimani children's court.

They were, however, reunited with their parents after spending a night at Central Police Station.

The 230 children, boys and girls aged between nine and 17, were brought to the court in two lorries yesterday morning and remained at the court's basement until afternoon when they appeared before Milimani Senior Principal Magistrate Faith Munyi.

"You will be put in groups and each parent must produce original Identity Card before you get back your child," Munyi directed.

According to the charge sheet, they were accused of engaging in drinking, smoking and dancing at Jerry Discotheque on Dubois Road, off Accra Road.

Children officers

They were called in groups of 10 and 15 later led to an open court where they were counselled by children officers.

Munyi directed those who did not have parents be taken to a children's home awaiting the next step.

Before the magistrate arrived, counsellors from various organisations within Nairobi talked to the children seeking to know what led them to found in the club in question.

On the fateful day, merrymaking at Jerry City discotheque was at its peak, with loud funky music and flickering disco lights to boot, as frenzied revellers gyrated to the beats on the dance floor.

That was until police stormed in at 4pm, scuttling the insidious party and arresting the 230 minors who were crammed in the entertainment joint.

The discotheque is located in a seedy district dotted with clubs where teenagers throng, mostly during weekends and public holidays, for jam sessions.

A worker at the club confided that it was no surprise that the minors had turned up in large numbers for high jinks on Mashujaa Day.

"The weekends are usually busy during daytime because teenagers come in for their jam session from around 2pm and are usually driven out by 6pm when the mature crowd comes in," said a waitress who declined to be named.

According to witness's accounts, some of them were also found in possession of rolls of bhang.

She said the raid might have been as a result of business rivalry, a practice that is common in the area.

"Bar owners or people affiliated to certain bars in this area are fond of calling the police on each other as part of eliminating the competition. This in turn means that the human traffic will be redirected to other bars, profiting from the competitor's tragedy," she claimed.

A cobbler operating nearby said six to seven police land cruisers arriving at the bar and plainclothes police officers whisked the minors away to the Central Police Station.

Too many

Efforts to charge the minors at the Milimani Law Court yesterday morning proved somewhat futile as they were too many to fit in the court room.

Angry parents even urged the judge to go out of his way and visit the holding cell so that he could make a ruling from there.

"Although we have no evidence of the number of minors who were drinking, we will also charge the owner of the disco as the Liquor Act prohibits admission of minors into any establishment selling alcohol," said Central OCPD Paul Wanjama.

During the 3pm swoop on Mashujaa Day, four employees of the pub were arrested and are expected in court today.

Police found the children with alcohol in cans, rolls of bhang and condoms. Police said the minors are suspected to have arrived at the pub at 8am.

It is not clear how the large number of children all met at the pub, but police said some of them had mobile phones. They said some came from as far as Dagoretti, Kangemi, Buru Buru and South B.

A similar incident occurred a few weeks ago in Eldoret where over 500 children were arrested in possession of drugs, alcohol and having sex at a basement club.

The swoop in Eldoret was conducted by police and officials from the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse.