An impromptu raid on Friday night conducted by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) at a local club in Nairobi turned hostile following the attack of several journalists and officers.
Speaking to Kenyans.co.ke, a contact at NACADA confirmed the incident, explaining that the bouncers at the club, eight in total, went rogue and began attacking the NACADA officers and journalists at the scene.
Police officers attached to NACADA, accompanied by journalists, arrived at the club at around 11:00 pm to arrest the club managers for allegedly selling shisha, which is prohibited in the country.
Upon identifying the journalists, the bouncers charged and rained heavy blows on them. In the process, they forcefully seized their recording equipment.As a result of the melee that ensued, Nation photographer Boniface Bogita was stabbed twice in the ribs, Jane Kibira of Kenya Broadcasting Corporation (KBC) was stabbed in the back and Standard Group's Boniface Okendo and Francis Odee were also beaten up and badly wounded.
"They even beat up our officers but we managed to arrest all of them," the source stated while confirming that two NACADA officers sustained serious injuries from the incident.
According to the source, the bouncers were taken into custody at Kileleshwa Police Station, pending arraignment in court on Monday.
On the other hand, the journalists who were attacked are currently receiving medical treatment at Aga Khan Hospital in Nairobi.
The source explained that the resistance portrayed by the bouncers was a result of the club being owned by an influential person in the country.
He added that NACADA would continue with the raids to ensure that those contravening the law would be brought to book.
"We are doing big things as NACADA. The place is owned by one of the most influential people in the country hence all the scuffle," he added. By Brian Kimani, Kenyans.co.ke