Interior Cabinet Secretary, Fred Matiang'i, on Thursday, offered words of guidance to alcohol lovers in the country.
This comes after his announcement, on Wednesday, that all bars and social entertainment joints should be closed from 5 pm on Saturday 24th and Sunday 25th, to facilitate the success of the national census.
Speaking at Harambee House during a press briefing on the preparations for the upcoming census, Matiang'i urged Kenyans to cooperate in order for the exercise to be successful.
"As public servants, we understand that some members of the society would like to be out longer. It is understandable but we would like to persuade you also to understand that we do this once every 10 years and we have this situation which we really have to go through," he reiterated.
The tough-talking CS pointed out that under the law, the drinking hours on weekends starts at 2pm, therefore Kenyans wishing to indulge in alcohol should make use of that period until 5pm, when the census is scheduled to begin.
"At a personal level, I would not encourage you to drink, but at an official level, I'm telling you that you can go have your drink between 2pm and 5pm. And more experienced people tell me that if you're not satisfied with beer for three whole hours, then there is a problem with you," he jokingly stated.
Matiang'i also expressed his apology to football fanatics who had suggested that bars and entertainment spots where they normally watch their games should be closed by 10pm and not at 5pm for them to watch the EPL match.
"You can also watch Liverpool and Arsenal play at home with your family. Maybe they will have a chance which they rarely have of watching a football match with you," Matiang'i remarked.
Matiang'i also advised the media to desist from pushing out alarming titles, in reference to some publications that had published titles, which implied that he had banned drinking in Kenya.
The CS further announced that only Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) employees, security personnel and independent monitors, would be granted freedom to move around during the census nights.
