Bar owners and drinkers can relax, for now

Are you a beer drinker or bar owner? Have you been harassed for taking an early drink or staying in the bar till late in the night?

You need not worry any more, at least for now.

Kenyans can continue enjoying their beer as usual until the government gazettes new regulations bringing the Alcoholic Drinks and Control Act into effect.

Internal Security assistant minister Orwa Ojodeh told MPs that it was illegal to harass anyone under the guise of implementing the new law.

“I have directed that bar owners and drinkers should not be harassed. If there is any harassment, I am around to control that.”

Police notified

“Until the regulations are gazetted, bar opening hours remain the same and police have been notified,” he said.

The assistant minister said the regulations were taking time to be gazetted because they required extensive consultations.

Draft regulations were only submitted to Attorney General Amos Wako last week.

The rules will also look at licence fees, opening hours and consumer protection.

Police in some areas have been going around arresting patrons in bars taking alcohol before 5pmor after 11pm.

“I do not expect police officers or district committees to harass bar owners. They must wait until I stand here (in Parliament) and make another announcement that the regulations are now effective,” Mr Ojodeh said.

He said he had instructed Permanent Secretary Francis Kimemia to write a circular to district liquor boards to stop harassing drinkers and bar owners until the regulations are tabled in Parliament.