Mombasa County takes over licensing of liquor

The Mombasa County government has taken over the collection of liquor licensing fees, albeit without a legislation, after pushing out district commissioners.

This follows a directive from Governor Ali Hassan Joho that the DCs stop collecting liquor fees since it was no longer their duty.

Two weeks ago, the governor had warned the administrators against collection of the fees, saying, they were perpetrating impunity and outright corruption.

Executive member for Tourism Tumbo Odhiambo said on Thursday the county had taken over collection of liquor licensing fees from DCs.

BARS AND NIGHTCLUBS

This would take place despite absence of a law allowing the county to collect the fees, Mr Tumbo said, adding, he had presented the proposed Liquor Act, 2013, to stakeholders.

The Bill would be tabled before the Assembly for debate and approval.

“Beginning this week, the county has been collecting the liquor licensing fees from hotels, bars and nightclubs after the DCs surrendered the function to us,” he said.

“But the county is still in the process of formulating a legislation on the matter. The law will be in place soon,” Mr Tumbo said.

On the other hand, Kisauni DC Tom Anjere and his counterparts have given up the collection of liquor fees on behalf of National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse.

Two weeks ago, Mr Anjere had vowed to continue collecting the fees on behalf of Nacada since the county lacked a legislation.

He had said he would stop collecting the fees once the county assembly passed the proposed Liquor Act.

But in a letter seen by the Nation on Thursday, Mr Anjere seemed to have changed his mind after he directed hotels and bars to pay the liquor fees to the county government.

Meanwhile, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers (KAHC) Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye supported the county’s move to collect liquor licensing fees from hotels and other alcohol outlets.

He said the DCs had been intimidating hoteliers and bar owners over the payment of the fees.

The provincial administrators, Mr Ikwaye said, had threatened to close down hotels and other liquor outlets after the owners refused to give them the permit fees.

SPEED UP APPROVAL

“We are glad that the county has taken over the function of liquor licensing since some fees which we used to pay to the DCs were never accounted for,” the KAHC boss said.

“Our members have since January been intimidated by the administrators over the liquor fee payments while some bars had been shut down,” he said.

Mr Ikwaye called on the county to speed up the approval of the proposed Liquor Act to allow the formation of a Liquor Committee Board.

The board, he noted, would oversee the liquor licensing process as well as help enforce the Act when passed by the county assembly.

Previously, hotels used to pay Sh80,000 for liquor licences, bars Sh50,000, nightclubs and discotheques Sh100,000.

Mombasa County has more than 60 hotels and over 300 bars and night clubs.