The Motorists Association of Kenya has faulted Nairobi County’s proposal to reintroduce clubs and entertainment joints into the Central Business District (CBD), insisting that the death of nightlife in the city was caused by government crackdowns rather than location.
In a strongly worded statement released on Sunday, the association accused authorities of suffocating Nairobi’s evening economy through indiscriminate alcoblow operations that unfairly targeted motorists. It argued that enforcement was more about harassment and extortion than genuine concerns for road safety.
According to the group, drivers in Nairobi are frequently stopped at random checkpoints mounted at nearly every exit route from the CBD, with many subjected to humiliation, coercive detentions, or bribe demands even after consuming minimal amounts of alcohol.
“Tell Geoffrey Mosiria the truth,” the statement read, in reference to remarks by Nairobi’s Chief Officer for Environment. The association maintained that developed jurisdictions only arrest motorists after observing reckless or impaired behaviour, unlike in Kenya, where the approach is blanket and punitive.
The motorists argued that the current enforcement system criminalises moderate social drinkers who pose no threat to road safety, discouraging many residents from going out altogether.
This, they noted, has drained life out of Nairobi’s evenings and crippled businesses that once thrived on nightlife.
They accused enforcement officers of opportunism, saying the operations disproportionately target professionals in affluent suburbs who can easily be coerced into paying bribes.
Beyond the CBD, the association noted that the decline in nightlife has spread to estate centres, social clubs, restaurants, and even malls that relied heavily on evening traffic. The ripple effect, they warned, has been cultural as well as economic.
The Motorists Association further argued that constant moralistic campaigns telling people to “take a cab” or “designate a driver” are out of touch with the realities of how cities function. They called instead for intelligent policing that targets genuine offenders without punishing ordinary citizens.
They stressed that in advanced economies, deterrence is balanced with practicality, focusing on reckless drivers rather than moderate drinkers. Kenya’s current approach, they said, has only served to criminalise nightlife and undermine the social vibrancy of the city.
Last week, Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria urged club owners to return to the CBD to restore its economic vibrancy, arguing that the absence of entertainment joints has left the city centre lifeless.
Mosiria maintained that moving clubs into the CBD would also reduce noise pollution in residential areas, where entertainment establishments have been setting up in large numbers. He appealed to business owners to play their part in reviving Nairobi’s economy.
