There was a drama at the Kwambira trading centre in Limuru constituency in Kiambu county on Tuesday after officials from the Consumer Protection Authority were allegedly attacked by traders.
Traders are said to have attacked the officials who were accompanied by armed police officers.
Businesses were closed, with pedestrians running away for safety, when the police started shooting in the air to keep off agitated traders.
Trouble started when the CPA officials were restricted from entering into a shop by a trader who alleged that they had not displayed their working badges.
"The officials entered our shop. They started checking the items we have displayed. I didn't know who they were. I called my husband who came and started questioning them," said Grace Waithera.
"He asked them who they were and the badges to prove they were working for a government's authority. Since they didn't have, the debate attracted so many people who came to our shop" she added.
She said that the officials told them they were checking the expiry, packaging and how items had been stocked, displayed and sold.
It was during that time, that the CPA officials ran away, leaving the police officer behind, Waithera added.
"What we were surprised with was that the officers arrested my husband saying he had invited the traders," she said.
Another trader Simon Njenga said the CPA officials were roughed up by people alleging that they did not trust them.
Limuru sub-county police commander Phillip Mwania confirmed the incident saying that there was an operation being conducted by CPA.
Mwania said the CPA officials reported at the Limuru police station and were assigned police officers.
He condemned the incident saying the traders ought to have contacted them instead of questioning the CPA officials since they had been accompanied by uniformed police officers.
Mwania said they had launched investigations into the incident.