KDF officer, magistrate arrested drinking past curfew hours

A Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) officer and a city magistrate were among over 30 people arrested on Friday night partying past curfew hours in Nairobi.

The two were arrested during police raid at a pub in Nairobi’s Embakasi area with 28 other people while on a drinking spree despite the government order that all bars be shut to curb the spread of the Coronavirus disease.

According to police reports, officers raided the bar after suspicious members of the public informed them that the bar was in operation despite the dusk to dawn curfew.

“We managed to raid the said bar and found the suspects disobeying various directives issued by the government to tame the spread of Coronavirus in the country.”

The suspects will spend the Easter in police cells until Tuesday, April 14, when they will be arraigned in court.

Law Society of Kenya chairperson Nelson Havi condemned the incident, adding that court officials should resume duties and serve Kenyans.

He said judges and magistrates should go back to work just like in other parts of the world and serve Kenyans, adding that the incident is a clear indication that the decision to send them home has not helped matters.

“It has turned out that a magistrate is in “a weekend carousel” of 30 people; contravening directives on Covid-19. KMJA must apologise to Kenyans. Its members should go back to work; not from home but in Court,” Havi tweeted on Friday night.

The government on March 20, 2020, ordered bars and restaurants to close earlier than usual.

Speaking when he issued the directive, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe said that all entertainment joints; bars and nightclubs are to close their doors every day by 7:30pm effective until further notice.

“Our actions continue to be guided by the trends that we have observed in other countries. Evidence from other countries indicate that the number of infected persons increases dramatically following confirmation of the first case,” said Kagwe.