Alcohol traders in Nyandarua staged protests at the Deputy County Commissioner’s (DCC) Office while demanding a conducive environment for their businesses to thrive.
Bar owners, who formed the majority of the demonstrators, argued that they were being harassed by local authorities since Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua ordered a crackdown on illicit alcohol.
Further, they lamented that their establishments were being closed under the guise of lacking requisite licences for operation.
Despite the protests, the traders were not able to air their grievances to the DCC as he was not present in his office at the time.
However, a source within the County Administration of Nyandarua intimated that the bar owners have been operating illegally outside the stipulated hours.
“The bar owners have been operating from as early as 6 am as opposed to the allowed time of 5 pm issued by NACADA," the administrator told Kenyans.co.ke.
He further confirmed that the crackdown on alcohol had resulted in the closure of more than 60 bars within the county.
DP Gachagua has notably on several occasions, issued ultimatums to local administrators whom he accused of laxity and colluding with bar owners to defy his orders.
Last year, he threatened to fire chiefs if they weren’t successful in executing his directives.
However, during the festive season, he celebrated the administrators for leading successful operations in the fight against illicit alcohol.
"I want to say that our fight has been successful. Vita dhidi ya pombe haramu na madawa ya kulevya umeanza kuonyesha matunda. (The fight against illicit alcohol and banned substances is yielding fruit).
"Before that, we were almost losing an entire generation," Gachagua applauded his juniors.
