High Court suspends Kindiki's order on closure of bars

A High Court in Kisumu has suspended Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki’s order on the closure of bars in the fight against illicit brew in the country.

The court in its ruling suspended Kindiki’s directive pending a hearing to determine the matter at hand.

“… ...THAT pending hearing and determination of the application dated 8th day of March 2024, stay of the 1st Respondent's directive issued by the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Interior & Coordination of National Government on the 6th March 2024 for the closure of all bars in Kenya and Kisumu County be and is hereby granted,” said in court’s ruling.

Kisumu Bar Owners Association moved to court to challenge CS Kindiki’s directive.

Interior CS had ordered the closure of bars that operated near residential areas and schools on March 6.

He further directed that bars owned by civil servants be shut down, stating that this move would remedy the conflict of interest.

According to Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hussein Allasow Hussein, the move is to ensure that the bars are not reopened.

“Some of them are trying to quickly transfer them to third parties but they won’t succeed. We have already identified them and closed them,” he said.

The County Commissioner added that the 114 are among over 400 bars that have been closed in the government’s crackdown on illicit alcohol trade.

The government directed that public officers who own or operate bars should either close them down or resign.