NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 27 – A total of 120 wine and spirit shops have been closed down around the Matatu stages in Nairobi by the Nairobi Liquor Department and the National Police in Starehe sub-county.
During the exercise, 25 bar owners were also arrested.
The crackdown was led by six teams, including Country Bus Station, where ten outlets were closed and four suspects were arrested; Muthurwa Terminal, where 20 outlets were closed; and Hakati Terminal, where 23 outlets were closed and nine suspects were arrested.
“Accra Road Terminus the number of liquor outlets closed are twenty-seven, suspects arrested are eight, Latema Road Terminus, the number of liquor outlets closed are eighteen, suspects arrested nil. Old Nation Roundabout Terminus, the numbers of liquor outlets closed are twenty-two, suspect arrested are six,” read the statement.
The operation was led by the Chief Officer, Security and Compliance, Tony Kimani, and Judith Anyango, the Vice Chair of the Nairobi County Liquor Board.
Maureen Njeri, the head of County Executive Business and Hustler Opportunities, said most wines and spirits operating in the bus terminuses within Starehe sub-county are unlicensed and hence operating in contravention of the Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Act of 2014.
She said the Nairobi Liquor Department is in the process of collecting data for other outlets located in bus termini across the other sub-counties for closure in the coming days.
“The multi-agency crackdown will involve verification of outlet licenses to ensure there are no developments or sprouting of illegal alcohol,” she said.
Governor Johnson Sakaja issued an order on February 23, 2024, to step up the crackdown on liquor stores, citing concerns about the number of people dying on the roads because of alcohol addiction.
Sakaja’s order came after he received a report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) indicating an increase in road fatalities on Nairobi roads.
“I have directed the removal of all wines and spirits shops located around matatu terminals and bus stops. Drivers and Touts are spending most of their time in these wines and spirits that have turned into bars and drinking dens as they wait for customers,” he said.
“We have lost loved ones due to recklessness on our roads because of alcohol and drug abuse. We have even discovered that all these bars targeted have been operating with the required licenses.”
The governor also called on the NTSA and Matatu Owners Association (MOA) to work together with his administration to put an end to the menace.
