Machakos county commissioner bans disco matanga

Machakos county commissioner Josephine Ouko has banned Disco matanga in the region.

Ouko said no night vigil gatherings will be allowed for whatever reasons.

She noted that all meetings should be conducted in broad day light for security reasons.

The county commissioner also banned parties usually conducted in New Year’s Eve maintaining only church meetings will be allowed in New Year’s Eve.

“Disco matangas have affected us. Those who know the effects have rejected them,” Ouko said.

Ouko spoke during the country’s 61st Madaraka Day celebrations held Kitwii Primary School in Kangundo subcounty on Saturday.

She made the announcement after several speakers including the clergy, local leaders and general members of the public raised concerns on security breach resulting from disco matanga and New Year parties in the county.

“I have heard what various leaders and men of the cloth have said. You have said that you want people to cross the year in church. Deputy county commissioners and your security teams, subcounty police commanders, the public have refused, they have said no,” Ouko said.

“People should go and celebrate New Year in church. So, please, this year, people should go cross the year in churches or where it’s allowed. If we want to hold celebrations of crossing the year, let’s cross it at day time in the open, where everybody is witnessing and not in darkness."

Ouko said such celebrations can be held either on December 31 or January 1 at day time.

She said such night events including disco matangas promote theft, robberies, and usage of illicit brew and narcotics among other outlawed activities in the country.

The administrator said disco matangas in early years had good intentions unlike currently where they are being misused.

She said things have changed unlike years back when there was sanity in communities.

“I direct chiefs, all NGAO officials and entire county security team to get rid of disco matanga, and if it’s there, it shouldn’t be in the form it is now. It should be where church members gather to pray for the deceased’s family, no loud or live circular music at night, but prayers only,” Ouko said.

Ouko lauded security apparatus in the county for stepping up war on illicit brew and narcotics.

She said since the government embarked on crackdown on illicit brew and second generation alcohol on March 6, they have so far conducted 2, 606 raids as a county.

“We have so far destroyed 20, 000 litres of illicit brew. For the outlawed second generation liquor; 12,500 litres have been netted alongside 352 rolls of bhang, 31 brooms of bhang, 30 stones all amounting to 8,570 grams,” Ouko said.

Ouko said over 15 plants of the narcotic and 425 litres of ethanol have also been netted during the period.

She cautioned officials issuing licenses to bar operators against the law.

“Licenses have been issued while the committee rejected the traders’ applications for the same. If the law states that no bar should be opened 300 metres from the school, it must be followed,” Ouko said.

“I order my security team to revoke the licenses and close those bars. The ones that were rejected in the committee because it has the mandate to vet and approve applications for licensing."

Ouko said legal action should be taken against the official who issued the said licenses.

She also said Machakos has a target of planting 300 million trees by 2032.

It has a target of planting 30million trees annually to achieve this.

“We have so far planted 3million indigenous trees, 268 foreign trees, 1.5 million fruit trees and 700, 000 others alongside 22, 000 plants of coffee,” Ouko said.

Ouko urged Kenyans to embrace tree planting wherever they are to help mitigate on the diverse effects of climate change.

She also told residents to apply for the 220 units of government’s affordable houses in Machakos town.