Police arrest 50 in city estates for smoking shisha

A female dancer smoking shisha at Mombasa Golf club on 10th October 2016. [Photo/Omondi Onyango/Standard]

More than 50 people were on Monday night arrested in fresh operations against shisha smoking in Nairobi.

Police say the operation will continue to other places in the country. Thirty of them were arrested in Eastleigh while 15 were nabbed on Juja Road. The exercise is set to spread to other estates, police aware of the plans said.

“The consumers have been locking themselves in clubs and other premises to smoke. It is illegal as it stands,” said a senior officer aware of the operations.

This happened after a court declined to lift a ban on shisha smoking on Monday. Health CS Cleopa Mailu banned shisha smoking in a notice, which prompted some distributors to move to court in efforts to lift the ban.

According to the court, the ban and importation of shisha will remain in force until two suits challenging the action are resolved.

Justice Roseline Aburili said there is a lesser risk in maintaining the ban for now. The judge said even though the applicants have an arguable case, it doesn’t automatically mean their case will be successful.