Kenyan Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua recently made a decision to curb the out-of-control alcohol use in the Mt. Kenya region by instructing county administrations to issue licences for just one bar and one restaurant each town. Alcoholism has been a problem in the region, with a government poll revealing that 12 out of 40 persons who consumed alcohol were from the central area.
Gachagua attributed the rise in the region’s illegal brew industry to the provincial government and called for bars and restaurants to be given one per town. He also stated that they should be closed and operate in the evening from 5 pm to 11 pm. Nyandarua County Women Representative Faith Gitau pointed out that individuals have turned to producing their own counterfeit brands.
Governor Moses Kiarie Badilisha also said his office would review the rules controlling the issuing of licences to restrict the number of alcohol stores. He claimed that the alcohol menace has led to a breakdown in social order. However, not many Kenyans are liking the one pub one town policy.
The number of bars and other alcohol-sales businesses that are now open are licensed to sell alcohol in Nyandarua County as of late last year was 600 out of 2,600, local media reported. Gitau believes that the county administration should relook at the issue of licensing to reduce the numbers of outlets and control the alcohol being sold. She also called for a focus on the source of the illicit brew, not just the seller.
Badilisha is deploying all laws and policies which address the alcohol menace. He stated, “It is no longer tenable to address the liquor licensing as merely a social and revenue issue, but one that’s now touching on the very survival of our youth and potential of our county to develop and sustain a functional population.” The decision to limit the number of bars and restaurants has not been well-received by some Kenyans who do not want their lifestyle and party mood interfered with.
