Alcohol traders accuse state officials of extortion

UDA Manager Nairobi Roy Smith Mwatia address members of the Small and Medium Liquor Traders Association (MELTA) who were demanding review of licensing terms of bars and restaurants at Public Service Club, Upperhill, Nairobi on April 15,2024 [Robert Tomno, Standard]

Bar owners have raised concerns over rising cases of extortion by individuals, disguising as government enforcement officers.

Describing the situation as a matter of urgency, the liquor traders are now asking for government's intervention to protect them from the crooks even as the fight against illicit brew continues. Under the aegis of Small and Medium Liquor Traders Association (Melta), the traders said the industry has incurred significant losses due to the gaps emerging in the regulations enforcement process.