A section of bar owners in Kirinyaga County have vowed to defy Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki’s directive on the closure of alcohol outlets.
Addressing the media on Wednesday, March 13, the traders said the directive from the Interior CS was illegal and unconstitutional.
They argued that bar owners with licenses dated 2024 should be allowed to continue with their businesses.
"The national government has contravened the Kenyan constitution and that is why we want anyone with a 2024 license to continue with their business without any conditions,” the traders said.
"We know the opening hours are from 5 PM until 11 PM. This issue of chiefs moving around and closing our businesses is not appropriate at all. That means Kirinyaga County is under some sort of emergency for matters we don't understand."
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The bar owners also noted that the government’s directive has rendered many locals jobless.
On March 6, CS Kindiki directed county security teams across the country to shut down all alcoholic outlets within residential areas.
The Interior CS also revoked the licenses of the outlets terming them are null and void.
“Any licenses currently issued to bars and any other outlets by county governments that are contrary to the provisions of the Alcoholic Drinks and Control Act especially as relating to licensing premises within residential areas and around basic education institutions are declared null and void. County security teams are to secure and shut down and seize such premises with immediate effect,” Kindiki ordered.
He also revoked all licenses and certification permits for second-generation alcohol and alcoholic beverage distillers and manufacturers, issued by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) and Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).
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