County closes clubs in Eldoret town

ELDORET: The Uasin Gishu County has shut down some leading entertainment clubs operating in basement floors in Eldoret town indefinitely.

The entertainment joints are regularly visited by revelers who fancy the high class services offered as others frequent to watch popular sporting activities from big screens fitted as they merry.

The closure might get most merrymakers by surprise at end month as they will miss their popular entertainment destination to enjoy their hard earned pay.

The joints were ordered closed on public health concerns, safety and other security reasons.

The Signature Club, The Spree, Samba, Sams and Tamarind Bar and restaurant were some of the popular joints closed at around midnight on Friday by a contingent of regular and administration police officers.

Led by the County Alcoholic Drinks Director Armstrong Rono, the police officers stormed into the premises, issued managers with notices before ordering them to close down the bars which were fully packed.

"Police officers arrived at our business premise at around 11pm and demanded the closure of the bar without giving us a short notice. They came in when I was counter-checking the bills but within no time they ordered everyone to leave the room," Jonah Ndirangu a manager at the Signature Club said.

UNCLEARED BILLS

Ndirangu and another manager at the same club, Sammy Kibush said the officers did not give them enough time to collect payment for bills from patrons claiming that some of those ejected went out with uncleared bills amounting to thousands of shillings.

"We really lost a lot of money because majority of customers panicked thinking they would be rounded up and taken to police cells while others took advantage of the situation and ran away with the bills," said Mr Ndirangu.

However, Rono said the club owners were supplied with the closure notice which is normally given on emergency cases.