Drink to this: Bar operating hours back to normal

Health CS Mutahi Kagwe during a press conference at the Ministry of Health headquarters in Nairobi. [David Njaaga, Standard]

Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe yesterday clarified that pubs and restaurants will close at 11pm or the time stipulated in their licenses.

This follows confusion after President Uhuru Kenyatta, in his Mashujaa Day speech, lifted the 10pm to 4am curfew, but remained silent on operating hours of pubs.

Addressing journalists at Afya House in Nairobi yesterday, Kagwe said pubs will operate in the hours they used to before the imposition of the curfew, and in accordance with their license regulations.

“We will revert to the closure of bars at 11pm or the time allowed by the regulator. However, all Ministry of Health protocols remain in force,” he said.

Before Kagwe’s communication, there was confusion over the operating hours of the bars after the National Police Service and Ministry of Tourism issued contradicting statements.

On Wednesday, the National Police Service, posted on Twitter that the closing time for pubs was still 7pm.

Tourism CS Najib Balala was also quoted as saying the lifting of the curfew meant pubs and restaurants could start operating at that pre-curfew times hours.

Pubs countrywide are legally allowed to operate between 5pm and 11pm on weekdays and between 2pm and 11pm on weekends.

However, there are entertainment joints that have licenses to operate overnight.