A High Court in Kisumu has intervened in the government’s crackdown on illicit brew, suspending Interior Cabinet Secretary Kithure Kindiki’s directive to close bars across the country. The court’s ruling, pending a thorough hearing, comes in response to a legal challenge filed by the Kisumu Bar Owners Association against the CS’s order.
Interior CS Kindiki had issued the directive on March 6, targeting bars operating near residential areas and schools, as well as those owned by civil servants. He cited the need to address conflicts of interest and curb the proliferation of illicit brew.
In a related development, 114 bars owned by county and national government officials were closed in Kirinyaga County as part of the enforcement measures. County Commissioner Hussein Allasow Hussein emphasized that the closure aims to prevent their reopening, thwarting attempts by some to transfer ownership to third parties.
Hussein disclosed that the 114 bars were among the 400 shuttered establishments in the ongoing government crackdown on the illicit alcohol trade. As part of the stringent measures, public officers owning or operating bars have been instructed to either close down their establishments or resign from their positions.
The court’s decision to suspend the directive underscores the legal complexities surrounding the government’s efforts to combat the illicit brew trade, setting the stage for further deliberation on the matter.
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