Gachagua Bashes Governors Over Licensing Bars, Issues Orders
He noted that this exposed the youth to alcohol abuse since they made access to liquor every day much easier.
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Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua has ripped into governors for carelessly licensing bars and restaurants in the counties that had issues and called for a review of the same.
Speaking during the launch of the Affordable Housing Project in Kiambu County on Thursday, January 18, Gachagua lamented that the governors have been licensing bars to be premises that run for 24 hours in the devolved counties.
He noted that this exposed the youth to alcohol abuse since they made access to liquor every day much easier.
"You governors you have failed us. You have licensed each and every bar to be a bar and restaurant and you're doing so to look for revenue, in the process, we lose an entire generation.
"We want to appeal to governors to sit down and agree that they cannot license each and every outlet to be a bar and restaurant to sell 24 hours, it is wrong and it is unacceptable," he directed.
He further proposed for governors to license one 24/7 bar and restaurant in major towns countrywide.
"Even if you are looking for revenue, you cannot do it at the expense of our children. Let us just have one restaurant in a big town as a bar and restaurant that sells for 24 hours," he added.
Backing up his sentiments, President William Ruto called for the national government administrators to work with county governments to protect the Kenyan children from those seeking to make money off them through the sale of illicit brew.
"You have heard what Riggy G has said regarding our children. They are being ruined by illicit alcohol and we have said the provisional administration must work with our county governments to make sure that we do not sacrifice our children and our society at the altar of money and at the altar of things that are taking our society backwards," he said.
The licensing of bars began in November 2022 when Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja stripped licenses issued to nightclubs operating in residential areas as well as stopped renewals of the same.
The first-time governor added that bars and restaurants in residential areas must operate within the specified time and control noise emanating from the premises. Specifically, the playing of music must stop by 10 pm.
The operation received recognition from President Ruto who was in support of the move as a way of ensuring that Nairobi upholds the standards of a capital city.
"To Governor Sakaja, keep the noise away from our children. You have our support in ensuring that we reorganize the city. Ensure that the Standards of Nairobi are the Standards of the Capital City of Kenya," the President said.
The directive was however scrapped by the County Assembly of Nairobi. The matter also triggered protracted verbal battles between Sakaja and Gachagua.
