Kirinyaga Governor Anne Waiguru has announced the re-opening of bars that have been vetted and issued with new liquor licenses beginning Friday, today, at 5 pm.
Waiguru said the county government had conducted fresh verification of some 700 liquor outlets across the county.
She said the verification team had recommended the reopening of some bars that were found to meet the required standards and the closure of some that had not complied with liquor licensing regulations.
The re-opening comes just a week after she ordered immediate closure of all liquor outlets in the county following the deaths of 17 people who consumed alcohol suspected to have been laced with ethanol at Kangai and Kandongu villages in Mwea West.
“We are in the process of issuing documentation and licenses today so that they can start operating this evening,” Waiguru said.
She said bars that have not met the licensing requirements have been advised to comply before being issued with a license.
Speaking after flagging off the distribution of subsidized animal feeds for dairy farmers at Kiaga, the governor said the county will not relent on its effort to weed out illicit alcohol and bars operating without licenses in the county.
Waiguru who is also the Council of Governors chairperson said no bar will be allowed to operate before being given a clean bill of health.
“For the ones that have not met the requirement or have not been licensed, the process will continue. Some have not met the standard and they have been told what they need to do including the regulation of the quality of alcohol that is going to be sold in Kirinyaga,” she said.
The governor further warned bar owners against selling or distributing unauthorized liquor in their outlets saying the county government will not hesitate to close them down and take legal action against them.
She reiterated that bar owners have a responsibility to protect the lives of their patrons by ensuring they stock authorized brands only.
“They must ensure they are selling products that conform to standards set out by the Kenya Bureau of Standards,” she said.
She said the county has launched a campaign dubbed “Fichua Pombe Haramu”, an initiative meant to help eradicate the manufacture and sale of illicit brew through the sharing of information.
“We have introduced a toll-free line 0800721812 and SMS number 0759674392 that you can use to give us information on suspicious cases of illicit alcohol brewing and sale in your area,” the Governor added.
