A businessman has issued a demand letter to Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja over the recent directive to close liquor stores near public transport terminus.
In the letter dated Monday, March 4, from the businessman's lawyers, Sakaja was accused of issuing an order targeting transport hubs while failing to do the same for other social amenities like schools and rehabilitation centres when issuing the directive.
The county boss was accused of having ulterior motives other than the reasons he stipulated for giving the directive.
The businessman gave Sakaja 48 hours to lift the directive or face a lawsuit at the High Court's Constitutional Human Rights Division.
"In circumstances, our instruction is to demand from as we hereby do the immediate and unconstitutional admission of liability together with the lifting of the impugned order/directive and/or its exemption of 'All' the complaint businesses within 48 hours from the date of this letter," read the letter in parts.
The businessman accused the governor of going against the constitution when implementing the directive without public participation.
Additionally, the businessman noted that the notice was targeting legally licensed businesses whose owners are now counting losses. He noted that the businesses had authorisation from the City County and the Liquor Licensing Board.
Sakaja was also faulted with the aggrieved party pointing out that the county chief should have consulted before moving ahead to implement the policy decision.
"The implementation of the impugned order has seen the closure of many compliant businesses operating in the city where no gazetted PSV terminus exists," read part of the letter.
Notably, the crackdown was spearheaded to tame the rising number of road accidents associated with the Capital's public transport sector.
Sakaja on February 23 directed the City inspectorate officers and the Nairobi County Liquor Department to close up all drinking dens near bus stations.
"Drivers and touts have become habitual drinkers. We are going to remove wines and spirits located at the stages within a week," he stated.
Since the crackdown began, over 120 liquor stores have been shut down with some of their owners being arrested.
