Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua’s home constituency, Mathira in Nyeri County, has had almost all of its bars shut down during the ongoing crackdown against the sale and consumption of illicit brews.
About 99 percent of entertainment joints at the bustling Karatina town, the heartbeat of the constituency, have been closed by authorities for not adhering to the far-reaching regulations stipulated by the government on the sale of alcohol.
Gachagua has taken a firm stance against proliferation of illicit brews and drug menace, a move that had irked bar owners in his backyard whose premises have been shut down.
Mathira East Deputy County Commissioner Rodgers Osundu said the majority of entertainment joints have not qualified some regulations outlined by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki.
Osundu said most of the closed premises were located within a radius of 300 meters from educational institutions and residential areas.
“The closure of 99 percent of bars within Karatina town and the entire Mathira East Sub-County was occasioned by the 300 meters rule of placement from learning institutions and the existence of bars in residentials. That was as per the directive issued by CS Kithure Kindiki,” Osundu said yesterday.
“Not unless we receive directives relaxing the same, the closure still remains,” he added.
Area bar owners, under the umbrella of Mathira Hospitality Stakeholders Alliance, have since backtracked and pledged to join the government in streamlining the alcohol business and weed out unscrupulous members involved in adulterating alcohol.
Led by their chairman Wachira Kabukuru, the operators admitted that some of their members have been manufacturing illicit brews and selling them at their bars to unsuspecting customers.
“For all those mentioned to engage in illicit brew, their licenses should be revoked, and their bars closed. We must do away with witch-hunt and uphold the truth. We should not entertain malice and falsehood when reporting and exposing those dealing in illicit alcoholic drinks,” he said.
The bar owners urged the county government of Nyeri to desist issuing licenses to the bars that operate at the backstreets of towns, saying the majority of them engage in selling illicit brew.
“Illicit and illegal liquor has adversely affected the community and it is very important that we support the vision of the Deputy President who is our leader. The administration should provide a suggestion box for the public to volunteer information on cartels dealing with illicit brew,” the chairman said.
Osundu has recommended that the devolved unit embrace a multi-agency approach in the process of issuing bar licenses to traders.
“License of bars is basically a function of the county government. I would prefer that there be a concerted process whereby physical identification of premises to be converted to bars and wines and spirits outlets is first done before issuance of licenses,” the senior administrator said.
“Officials should physically visit the structures first before issuing the licenses because some of them barely measure 3 by 3 meters yet they are authorized to operate as bars and restaurants. That is a big problem because not each and every space should be converted into a pub. This will stop mushrooming of backstreet pubs in towns and also restrict counterfeiting of alcohol,” he added.
DP Gachagua has since confirmed that the operation has borne fruit already, asking for its intensification countrywide.
“We have re-energized our teams and there is a lot of supervision. The amount of ethanol that was coming in has lessened. Kenyans are now sober, we are getting good reports that even people who were taking alcohol have given up. The war is 70 per cent won,” he said.
He spoke on Tuesday at Avenue Hospital in Thika, Kiambu County, where he had visited Juja Police Station commander John Misoi. Misoi sustained injuries when he was attacked during a crackdown on illicit brew in Gachoro village.
Karatina Market Women Traders Association chairperson Susan Wanja averred that there is a significant impact since the crackdown commenced.
“This town was very noisy and chaotic, but now, it has become so calm. Some of the youths who used to look a bit dirty are now neat and clean. We fully support the efforts made by the government,” Wanja said.