- Witnesses and security at the joint said four men walked in there and ordered food.
- A few minutes later as they all ate the chips, one of them walked out and bought a cigarette from a vendor.
Image: STAR
An argument in a chips joint over a move by a reveller to smoke therein turned fatal along Moi Avenue, Nairobi.
Police and witnesses said the incident happened at a popular chip joint and involved a reveller who had ordered food and a guard on duty at about 2 am on October 29.
An assailant linked to the murder is at large after fleeing the scene, police said.
Witnesses and security at the joint said four men walked in there and ordered food.
A few minutes later as they all ate the chips, one of them walked out and bought a stick of cigarette from a vendor.
He lit the cigarette and walked back while smoking.
This angered some of the customers who complained and asked for intervention from the management, police said.
A guard on duty walked to the smoker and informed him smoking was prohibited therein which prompted an argument.
According to security footage, the smoker assaulted the guard prompting his other colleagues to join to calm the situation.
The footage shows the smoker kicking and punching the guard and flooring him.
His colleague rushed to his rescue and was also assaulted and pushed to the floor.
The smoker was then seen stepping on the stomach of the unconscious colleague.
He then stormed out of the joint with his colleagues and jumped onto their waiting car and sped off.
Police said they did not finish eating their chips as the fighting had turned chaotic and they knew police would arrive anytime.
The guard was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was pronounced dead on arrival.
Police visited the scene minutes later and said investigations into the murder had commenced and the hunt on the men was ongoing.
Nairobi police boss Adamson Bungei said they are looking for the suspect and his accomplices.
He said smoking is banned in such premises as per the laws introduced many years ago.
After ratification of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, Kenya enacted the Tobacco Control Act, 2007, banning smoking in public places except in designated smoking areas.
The Tobacco Control Act, 2007 requires strengthening to ensure that bars and restaurants have a smoke-free environment.