Frustrated shoppers at Lavington Mall, Nairobi were forced to leave through the entrance on Friday after a visibly intoxicated man positioned himself in the path of an exit and refused to move, blocking the passage for patrons attempting to leave the premises.
When police officers on the scene asked him to stop filming them and delete the footage, he responded with insults rather than compliance, according to sources privy to the incident.
The standoff began at around 9 am and dragged on for several hours as officers attempted to talk him down, before they finally moved in and arrested him in the afternoon, to the evident relief of patrons he had inconvenienced.It was only after the footage began circulating on social media that the identity of the individual at the centre of the episode became clear.
That person was not an anonymous troublemaker, but rather Morris Karume, the grandson of a former Cabinet Secretary (CS) who served in the Defence docket during the Kibaki era and a name that carries considerable weight in Kenya's political history.
He was also a prominent businessman before his death.
The incident unfolded shortly after the family had laid a senior relative to rest in a ceremony attended by business associates and political figures who gathered to honour a man who had carried the family name with quiet dignity through his later years.
Beyond the drama at Lavington Mall, social media users have identified Morris Karume as the proprietor of Terminal 2 Cocktail Bar, a nightlife venue in Diani.
This revelation is reinforced by the circulating footage, which shows a badge bearing the "T2" insignia of the establishment displayed behind his vehicle.
"Behind the car you can see a badge written T2, Terminal 2, that's his club in Diani," one social media user observed.
The confrontation reportedly escalated when Morris responded to the officers’ instructions with insults before positioning himself in the path of an exit, obstructing shoppers attempting to leave the mall.
"He was the one filming the police officers, and when they asked him nicely to stop and delete the video, he turned around and started insulting them before blocking the entrance," noted another social media user.
The conduct has drawn widespread condemnation, with Kenyans questioning the sense of impunity that allows a man in his position to treat law enforcement officers and mall patrons with such contempt.
"We must stop rewarding bad behaviour. What he did was shameful, reckless and utterly beneath the name he carries," reads another comment online.
