Nyandarua County cancels all bar licences

By ANTONY GITONGA 

Nyandarua County: The Nyandarua county government has annulled all bar licences in the area in a bid to deal with the increase in the consumption of second-generation drinks.

With local leaders expressing concern over the increase in the consumption of the illicit brews, the county said all alcohol outlet licences remained revoked.

The move was met with mixed reactions, with the traders terming it abuse of office as locals said it was long overdue.

Issuing the directive, Deputy Governor Waithaka Mwangi said the it was to take effect immediately.

He said the move was arrived at so that all liquor traders and their businesses could be vetted afresh.

 “We have taken the initiative to revoke all the permits as we want to ascertain that the drinks sold in the bars are of quality and up to the set standards,” said Mwangi.

The deputy governor said brewers were taking advantage of youths in the area who are jobless to sell low cost alcohol, most of which was laced with dangerous chemicals.

 “We have noticed that these drinks sold to residents are composed of methanol and other poisons and this has turned our youths into zombies,” he said.

Boy Child initiative

Mwangi was speaking at Engineer Township during the launch of the Rechabite Boy-Child Initiative, which seeks to educate young boys on the dangers of drug abuse.

He called on church leaders to work together with their colleagues in government and have the issue of alcoholism eradicated in the county.

He praised the initiative, saying the county government would allocate funds to help it reach as many youths as possible in the area.

The initiative’s chairman, Francis Kairu, said the organisation would work with all stakeholders to educate the boy-child, who has for a long time been forgotten.

Kairu said various organisations had focused on the education of the girl-child, leaving the boys to roam around engaging in drugs.

“We want to make sure that the life of the boy-child as the future head of the family is protected from the onset,” said Kairu.

He, however, said cases of alcoholism in the county were gradually increasing and pointed an accusing finger at the provincial administration, saying they had been unable to tame the vice.