More than 500 bar owners in Kiambu County were arrested and later released for holding an alleged illegal meeting.
Led by Richard Kagiri, Kiambu Bar Owners Association chairperson, the bar owners were in a meeting at Checkpoint bar at Karigiti centre, when police arrested them.
The meeting’s main agenda was to discuss the recent High Court ruling to go ahead and revoke a court order stopping County Government of Kiambu from collecting business permit and license fees.
"The Bar owners have refused to pay the levies since the said levies are really hurting our businesses. We are supposed to pay Sh 50,000 and yet we operate from 5pm to 11pm. What will we be doing to recover such a large amount of money?" Kagiri posed.
Speaking to the press after the raid, George Kibugi, Kiambu town chief, said that the police officers raided the meeting after they were tipped off that the meeting posed a threat to security.
"They were pretending that they were holding a meeting to discuss the High Court order but the police officers caught them drinking alcohol and not discussing anything relating to the High court ruling," Kibugi said.
The bar owners were later released and they staged a demonstration outside the Kiambu Police station.
"The police officers stormed the meeting where we were discussing key issues relating to our business and started arresting us without even telling us where we had wronged," Catherine Muriuki, a bar owner told the press.
Jude Njom, Kiambu Mp, told the press that the arrest was illegal and ill intended.
"I went and talked to the police who later released the bar owners. I am still not aware why they were arrested," Njomo said.