Bar owners fault the gov’t over ‘unfair’ crackdown, call for proper regulation

Bars, Hotels and Liquor Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) in Laikipia and Nyandarua counties have called upon the government to come up with a proper framework on how to regulate bars and liquor outlets in an effort to ensure they are not victimized.

Through their National Secretary General Francis Gachoka and Chairman Simon Njoroge, the traders condemned the government for closing legally operating bars, noting that despite complying with the set rules and regulations, the government has gone ahead and closed down thousands of outlets while other licenses are being revoked.

“The problem that is there is not the association or these bar owners, these guys pay county government licences, all of them. So nobody is doing an illegal business,” said Njoroge, BAHLITA chairman.

Speaking during a meeting held in Nyahururu town, BAHLITA said they have invested so much in their business and that some are even set up using loans and so the abrupt closure of their premises will adversely affect not only the owners but also those who depend on them.

Likewise, they added, it will greatly reduce revenue collected by the government and also create joblessness rather than increasing the high crime rate in the country.

“Ukiambiwa ufunge hii kazi, saa hizi mimi kwangu nimeandika wasichana wanne na hakuna mwenye ako na kazi nyingine. Kwa hivyo mimi ndio bwana yao kwa hiyo kazi- nashindwa wale wanawake nikiwatoa kwa kazi ...so mi naonelelea nikifunga hii kazi, wizi itaanza kufanya kazi,” insisted a bar owner.

The association further lamented that the government was sidelining them yet they were engaging in legit business.

They have therefore called on the government to initiate a forum where they will both come up with a win-win solution so that only illegal businesses would be closed down.

At the same time, they observed that it was unfortunate to see legit premises being closed down under the guise of fighting illegal liquor.

The remarks by BAHLITA follow recent pronouncements by Deputy President William Ruto who has been keen on ordering a crackdown on illicit brew in the country.

His boss, President William Ruto has also stressed the need to control alcohol consumption in the country with Laikipia County having directed the closure of about half of the bar outlets in the region.