Bar owners warned against selling alcoholic beverages to students

Nanyuki, Friday, June 30, 2023

KNA by Muturi Mwangi

Traders in the hospitality industry have been warned against selling alcoholic beverages to students and operating bars within 300 meters of learning institutions.

Laikipia County Commissioner Joseph Kanyiri speaking during the Bar, Hotels and Liquor Traders Association (BAHLITA) sensitization forum in Nanyuki said the move was aimed at protecting learners.

“It is not my directive that bars shouldn’t be operated near schools, it’s within the law. This is a rule to regulate disturbances and behaviors that can affect learning in those schools,” said Kanyiri.

He noted that bar owners further construct perimeter walls aimed at ensuring their activities are confined within their premises without affecting schools.

“Operate your bar away from school as guided by the law to protect your business and the students,” the County Commissioner cautioned.

The county commissioner further said that bars operating near Matatu terminus should be moved since drivers access them easily to curb drunk driving behavior which had led to exacerbation of road carnages.

“For those operating bars at Matatu terminus, we have agreed they should be moved so that accidents can be avoided. There are many long-distance drivers and especially Public Service Vehicles (PSV) that get drunk in those joints as they wait for passengers, that is what contributes to accidents we are witnessing,” said Kanyiri.

Bar owners were also sensitized to counterfeit alcohol brands and illicit brews.

BAHLITA Chairman Simon Njoroge said that the training offered them an opportunity to solidify their partnership with the government and at the same time noted that following the sensitization they would adhere to the rule of law, when operating their premises.

Robert Kabata, proprietor of Moran Lounge and Grill, a popular entertainment joint in Nanyuki said that bar owners would not sell contraband alcoholic beverages or illicit brews and they would support the government’s commitment to eradicating narcotics by involving youth through sporting activities.

Courtesy ;K. N. A