By Anderson Ojwang
Kisumu, once a hotspot for entertainment in the country, is currently witnessing the collapse of the industry, occasioned by police harassment and bitter rivalries.
The constant police raids have created a negative environment for club and bar owners in the town and forced the majority to close down.
Coupled with business rivalry and negative energy among the business community, most businesses have been forced to close down and sack employees.
Last weekend’s police raid at Atella Beach Resort in Dunga, where a female reveller suffered a gun injury and was admitted to Jaramogi Oginga Odinga Teaching and Referral Hospital, was one of such incidents that was impacting negatively on the entertainment industry in the city.
And now the business community and residents of Kisumu have protested against alleged police harassment and unwarranted raids that were killing the entertainment industry in the city.
The business community wants the police to remain neutral and should not be used to fuel business rivalry in the lake city.
In an open letter to the police, Human Rights Defender, Mr Audi Ogada, termed the raid on the facility as an act of thuggery and excessive police brutality.
“The action by police officers from Kisumu Central Police Station at ATELA BEACH RESORT DUNGA, where a lady was shot by police, demonstrates extreme arrogance, double standards and direct conflicts of interest,” he said.
Audi said the law allows police officers to discharge their functions and mandates in total compliance with the rule of law and utmost respect for human rights and freedoms.
“Police operations must always remain effective, efficient and transparent. Arbitrary arrests of innocent citizens and intimidation are detrimental to their lives, therefore unlawful,” he said.
He called on the National Police Service to review and reorganise their operation strategies without causing panic to the general public, citing evidence from the police shooting at Attela Beach Resort.
He said a section of revellers and Kisumu residents were tired of constant harassment by some senior police officers.
“We are all condemning the increase of crime and lawlessness as a matter of concern which must be addressed without further delay,” he said.
Equally, licensed business owners have complained of wanton harassment, which they said was impacting negatively on their businesses.
Police officers stormed Atella, a popular joint located on the shores of Lake Victoria, at 8 pm on Sunday and arrested those found smoking shisha.
However, commotion occurred as revellers attempted to stop the officers from conducting the raid.
During the melee, the officers fired live bullets and lobbed teargas canisters into the crowd, leading to the shooting. The woman was rushed to JOOTRH on a motorcycle as the officers sped away.
Officers from the Independent Policing Oversight Authority (IPOA) have already visited the victim in hospital and recorded her statement.
Kisumu County Police Commander Hillary Toroitich said the matter was being investigated.
The operation was conducted by a team of officers from the Kenya Police Service (KPS), Administration Police Service (APS), Border Patrol Unit (BPU), the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI), and the Kisumu County Liquor Licensing Team.
A reveller, John Otieno, blamed business rivalry as a major factor in the collapse of business in the city.
“Some of the business owners want to engage in unorthodox means to get rid of their competitors. We want positive competition and not negative energy,” he said.
Atella is one of the most popular joints in Kisumu, and its location attracts most revellers from Western Kenya, Nairobi, and the locals.
The facility has opened up the once sleepy Dunga into a vibrant and active business hub in the city.
