Authorities close Karatina strip club after complaints
Signage at the entrance to LA CASA club in Karatina town that has been shut down by authorities. PHOTO | STEPHEN MUNYIRI | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
- Mathira East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Messo confirmed the closure of Club LA CASA situated in the central business district.
- The entertainment joint was opened last December.
- Residents complained that activities there were “unpalatable” and the club should not be allowed to continue operating.
Authorities in Mathira East, Nyeri County, have ordered the closure of a strip club in Karatina town barely a month after it opened following complaints by residents who said it was promoting immorality.
Mathira East Deputy County Commissioner Patrick Messo Monday confirmed the closure of Club La Casa that is situated in the central business district. The entertainment joint opened its doors last December.
Mr Messo said they had received several complaints from residents who said activities being conducted there were “unpalatable” and should not be allowed to continue.
“We work for the wananchi and, when they complained, we launched our own investigations and established that activities being conducted there were actually immoral. We had to close it,” he said.
When the club opened its doors, it became an instant hit with both the young and the old trooping to the facility located on the fourth floor to witness the new “phenomenon”.
When the Nation visited the premises on Monday, it was locked with a padlock but there was no notice indicating the closure.
However, the move was met with mixed reactions from residents, who are mostly conservative, with some supporting its closure while others said it should have been allowed to operate.
“Karatina is a small town where almost everybody knows each another. These activities of women dancing nude are likely to promote immorality. If a young man sees that kind of nudity and they are hot blooded, what will prevent them from engaging in rape if they don’t have a girlfriend or money to pay a commercial sex worker?” he asked.
Another resident who regularly patronised the club felt its closure was unfair.
“The government should not try to control where to patronise. I have been a regular patron at the club and I did not see anything unusual. I’m an adult and nobody should restrict me from seeing whatever pleases my eyes,” said Simon Kaburu, a shoeshine operator based near the building.
Three years ago, a similar joint was closed down following a hue and cry from residents who said it was corrupting the morals of the youth.
