Fury as Murang'a officials caught on camera attacking pub workers, patrons

Murang'a District Hospital. (File, Standard]

Two senior administrators in Kiharu, Murang'a County, are under scrutiny for allegedly attacking patrons and workers at a Murang'a town pub, leaving them with injuries.

Videos circulating online have sparked outrage, showing the two Assistant County Commissioners, Esther Muthoni (Kiharu Sub-County) and her male colleague, Peter Mutoka, a Senior Assistant County Commissioner at the Office of the Deputy County Commissioner, storming Oceanic Hotel and Restaurant at around 5 am on Saturday, 22 March 2025. The footage captures them harassing people at the establishment.

Two individuals-a pub worker and a female patron-were reportedly assaulted by the administrators, sustaining serious injuries and being admitted to Murang'a Level 5 Hospital.

One of the injured persons, Kelvin Mungai, the pub manager, is seen in the footage being struck multiple times on the head by Mutoka, causing him to collapse.

According to James 'Kamlesh' Waweru, the owner of the establishment, Kelvin, who is also his son, sustained injuries to the head, back, legs, and hands.

Kelvin, who was admitted to Murang'a Level 5 Hospital over the weekend, has since been discharged.

Speaking to the media outside the premises, Kamlesh, a former civic leader in the area, accused the two administrators of being drunk and disorderly.

He further claimed that Esther had been targeting him and his business ever since he complained to the Murang'a County Commissioner last year about extortion by some members of her administration team.

He alleged that Esther had warned him of dire consequences, and since then, she had raided his premises four times.

He added that his son and the female patron assaulted by the two administrators had been treated and discharged from the hospital.

In CCTV footage, one of the administrators is heard ordering the manager to lower the TV volume, while the other suggests that all the drinks in the pub should be confiscated.

Kamlesh has called for immediate action against the two, terming their actions as impunity by government officials.

Efforts to reach Murang'a County Commissioner Joshua Nkanatha for comment were unsuccessful. Meanwhile, the newly transferred Kiharu District County Commissioner, Charles Mureithi, who had only been in office for a few hours, stated that the matter was under investigation and that a comprehensive report would be released the following day.