Bar owners in Naivasha are at loggerheads with the Sub-County Liquor Licensing and Regulations board; a move which has threatened to push them out of business.
Most bar owners especially those who have been running their activities near residential areas, schools and other public institutions are the biggest losers who now stand to lose millions of shillings from their investments.
“I have been running this joint for the past 10 years which has birthed three others, two of them near Guest Inn, and one at the South Lake region. For that long, I had not been approached by any authorities telling me that I am running my business in an illegal area. I am, however, hopeful that the board will review my appeal to renew the licence if I have not flouted any regulations,” said Evans Muchoki, a businessman in Naivasha.
Another bar owner who identified himself as Joseph Muiruri, and owns a joint in Kabati estate in Naivasha, lamented over the move saying the stringent regulations might push more than half of them from the business.
“We are ready to cooperate with the regulations to ensure the set standards are adhered to. We pay licences promptly; ensure that health measures are adhered to except for the new directive that will scrap out bars in some specified places. We urge the board to review that decision to ensure that those who have continually adhered to the regulations are not mistaken for non-compliance,” Muiruri said.
The plea comes in the wake of a heightened campaign to restore sanity in the liquor business in Naivasha sub-county by the sub-county liquor licensing and regulations board.
Naivasha sub-county administrator Julius Nyaata on Saturday confirmed that over 50 per cent of the bars in the town have been closed.
“A total of 564 bars had applied for new licences after the county liquor board was formed. After a review, 201 bars were approved while another 140 outlets were closed down. We shall revisit 223 bars in the coming weeks as some had minor issues which can be addressed before they are licensed,” Mr Nyaata said.