This archive report was first published on 4 November 2019.
On Sunday, November 3, 2019, a police team visited a popular busaa den in Njiru, Nairobi, and arrested the owner and four others for operating an illegal business.
However, as the team was leaving, locals blocked their path, claiming there was no criminality in brewing busaa, and started stoning the vehicle carrying the officers and suspects.
The officers were forced to open fire in an attempt to disperse the crowd, resulting in the injury of three people during the chaos.
The injured were taken to Mama Lucy Hospital for treatment, while police authorities stated that they are investigating the incident.
Police raids on such premises in informal settlements have been on the rise, with claims of extortion, but the officers argue that the joints are dens used by suspected criminals.
Just two months prior, a similar police raid in Kahawa West ended tragically with the shooting and killing of a two-year-old boy.
