• County police commander Josphat Kinyua said the suspects were arrested past 10 pm.
• Clubs that will flout guidelines will not have their licenses renewed after the pandemic.
Image: Alice Waithera
Police in Murang’a on Sunday arrested 13 people including a doctor and a magistrate found in a restaurant at 10pm in the town.
County police boss Josphat Kinyua said the culprits will be prosecuted.
Kinyua said they will be given police bonds and summoned to court for charges at the earliest session.
He was concerned that some Kenyans are not taking the guidelines issued to prevent the spread of coronavirus because they know the courts are not operational.
“It is unfortunate that doctors, who should be in the frontline sensitising Kenyans on how to shun the virus were caught up in the incident,” he said.
Kinyua said the owner of the restaurant had been operating even at night despite the county leadership closing down all clubs and bars two weeks ago.
Governor Mwangi wa Iria revoked all bars licenses after operators failed to heed to his directive to close down soon after the first few positive coronavirus cases were confirmed on March 13.
Wa Iria said he took the drastic action because the operators claimed they had licenses to operate.
But Kinyua said once the pandemic is over, clubs that will have flouted the given guidelines will not have their licenses renewed.
“I am asking Murang’a people to protect themselves and strictly adhere to the government’s guidelines so that the virus can be controlled,” Kinyua said.
Last week, he praised Murang’a residents for observing hygiene measures, especially while travelling using matatus.
While inspecting matatu termini to ensure they were sanitising as recommended, Kinyua said passengers were the ones demanding for the soap and water before and after boarding matatus.
The county technical team set up to fight the virus has established water points in all public places, with those without tap water getting tanks
Wa Iria has also announced that residents will not pay their April water bills as long as they do not surpass 6,000 litres.
Wa Iria has also limited the movement of public service vehicles in and out of the county and closed down barbershops and beauty salons.
Kiharu MP Ndindi Nyoro has said he will use his April salary to support his less fortunate constituents who will require aid in case of a lockdown and who have been affected by the curfew.
Woman Representative Sabina Chege has also distributed water tanks and masks to boda boda operators while fruits processing companies Delmonte and Kakuzi have provided tractors to help in fumigation of towns.
(edited by o. owino)