Kenya: Govt Shuts Down 5,995 of Liquor Joints in Intensified Alcohol Crackdown

The government has shut down at least 5,995 liquor joints as the war against illicit brews intensifies.

The Ministry of Interior and National Administration (MINA) said in a statement Tuesday that the facilities were closed down due to what it described as serious safety breaches and failure to fully comply with essential legal requirements.

MINA reported that a comprehensive assessment has been conducted on a total of 43,708 outlets, with 37,713 already granted clearance to continue their operations since the commencement of the government crackdown.

The latest compliance audit report indicates that over 86 percent of the premises have met all the stipulated requirements in the country’s alcohol laws and policies.

“The inspection, whose scope extends to premises’ license statuses, the legal standards of alcoholic beverages stocked, and labeling of alcohol products, is a prelude to a fresh review of all the licenses for the manufacture, distribution and sale of alcoholic drinks in the country,” MINA said Tuesday.

A multi-agency team is currently conducting a nationwide crackdown against illicit brew with a special sub-unit deployed to inspect liquor businesses, checking the level of compliance with the legal and regulatory framework.

According to the data, Rift Valley has the highest compliance score, with the region posting 23,735 cleared businesses.

It was followed by the Eastern Region and Nairobi who have recorded the 5,708 and 3,315 cleared businesses.

They are followed by the Central region with 1,827, Nyanza with 1,217, Western with 1,153, and Coast with 706.

Bottom on the list is North Eastern, where 52 premises have been declared compliant.