Nyali shisha crackdown: Arrest warrant issued against 26 suspects for skipping court

Shanzu Law Courts in Mombasa issued an arrest warrant against 26 individuals accused of using and selling shisha on Tuesday.

The 26 who had been initially released on Sh15,000 cash bail at the Nyali police station are accused of failing to attend court proceedings on Monday.

The individuals are among the 48 suspects arrested during an operation by the National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) over the weekend.

The suspects were arrested in Nyali, Mombasa, following raids on two residential houses.

But the 26 are said to have missed the court appearance on Monday. Only the 22 suspects appeared in court but they failed to take plea.

The prosecution had sought more time to determine the enforcement of the law prohibiting shisha use since 2018.

Senior Resident Magistrate Joe Omido released the suspects on a cash bail of Sh 15,000 each.

They were ordered to appear in court on January 23.

Arrests at shisha joints

During the January 14 and 15 arrests, Nacada CEO Anthony Omerikwa said that the operation was based on intelligence.

They targeted two shisha joints in Nyali during the night raid.

"We seized 47 shisha pots and over 700 shisha ingredients, which we will submit to the Government Chemist for testing to verify the contents," he said.

Dr Omerikwa urged proprietors to operate within the legal framework, noting that the enterprise operated on a 2017 license, the same year the government banned shisha use.

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