Bar Operators Blame Rising Murders on Closure of Premises

Bar Owners Association Secretary General Boniface Gachoka.
Bar Owners Association Secretary-General Boniface Gachoka.
File

Bar operators have come out to attribute the rising cases of violent murders witnessed during the Covid-19 pandemic period to the closure of their premises.

The government had issued all bars and clubs to be closed in March 2020 as a form of curbing the spread of Covid-19 pandemic.

Speaking to a local media house, Bar Owners Association Secretary-General Boniface Gachoka cited that youths turned to criminal activities once the government issued the order. 

Bar Owners Association Secretary General Boniface Gachoka.
Bar Owners Association Secretary General Boniface Gachoka.
File

He cited that the cases went down when the government slightly reopened bars in September 2020.

"There were so many psychological effects like murder because people lacked the opportunity to go and interact as bars were closed. 

“These cases reduced when the bars got a glimpse of re-opening," Gachoka stated.

According to Gachoka, the country, in a bid to mitigate the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, encountered grave losses in the economic sector.

He stated that the deficit of Ksh149 billion by KRA during the previous financial year was due to the manufacturing sector being affected. 

"The easiest people you can collect taxes from is the manufacturing sector since it's direct taxes," he stated.

Direct taxes are the taxes that an individual or organisation remits to the government such as income tax.

The secretary General also called upon Kenyans not to view the industry in a negative light, as it's propagated in the public scene.

He cited that bar owners pay a minimum license of  Ksh40,000 which may escalate to Ksh1 million in order to mitigate the social negative effects in businesses. However, he noted that the majority of the funds are not utilized appropriately. 

"We are calling upon the Council of Governors to ensure that those funds are utilized accordingly," Gachoka said.

File image of a man holding a glass of alcohol
A photo of a reveller holding a glass of alcohol
Photo
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