South Sudanese woman held over Nairobi youths' alcohol drinking party

Some of the youths arrested for being drunk and disorderly at a party in Langata, Nairobi, when they appeared in Kibera Law Court, yesterday. [PHOTO: GEORGE NJUNGE/ STANDARD]

NAIROBI: A South Sudanese has been charged with hosting youths, including minors, for an alcohol drinking party in Lang’ata, Nairobi County.

Mary Nyanyikii who was yesterday arraigned in the Kibera Law Courts, also faced charges of causing public disturbance at Phenom estate.

Inside the courtroom, the youths hid their faces from the cameras as the charges were read out. They entered in groups and sat heads bent.

Those booked for being idle and disorderly were 57. Of these, 17 were aged below 18. Court documents showed those arrested on Thursday in Lang’ata were aged between 14 and 20. But head of security at the estate Omollo Akello claimed the youths were about 150.

The woman alleged to have been a tenant was also charged for being in the country illegally.

The party was cut short after the noise attracted Nyumba Kumi officials. The residents also apprehended the youth before alerting police.

Langat’a OCPD Elijah Mwangi, said police found bottles of whiskey in the house and some of victims were drunk. The OCPD told The Standard on Saturday that the youths spent the night at the police station, and hopes this will serve as a lesson not to engage in illicit acts.

“Yes it was a party but alcohol for young people and others who are minors is criminal. The youths ought to learn a lesson not to get into such acts,” he said.

Nyanyikii denied the charges before Senior Resident Magistrate Shadrack Mwinzi.

The prosecution asked the court to deny her bond or cash bail saying she was a flight risk. The magistrate remanded her until Monday, when the bond will be determined.

On the other hand, the forty youths admitted being drunk and disorderly and were released on a free bond. However, their lawyers argued that the charges were defective as the party was at a private residence.

The other 17, who had not attained the legal age were charged separately. The magistrate set them free and ruled that the charge sheet was defective as it indicated the offence was committed at a public space.

The arrest comes days after 15 matatus were impounded in Yatta, Machakos County, on Sunday, where police allegedly found students engaging in sex while drunk. A party dubbed Project X planned for Kileleshwa tomorrow has also been banned.

The party triggered a social media outcry forcing the Kenya Film Classification Board Chief Executive Officer Ezekiel Mutua to act.

Moral decay among youths has raised concern among parents and church leaders. In 2014, the number of cases involving children increased by 485. In 2013, the children’s courts recorded 1,200 cases but the number rose to 1,685.

In the last three years, majority of cases on drug abuse, sexual offences and theft involved minors. This year, the statistics could rise further, considering 815 cases of children caught partying while indulging in alcohol, drugs and sex have already been reported.

Last year, 220 minors were arrested in a downtown entertainment spot on a Sunday afternoon.