Inside the war between estate bar owners and local government administration
Boniface Gachoka the Secretary General of the National Bar Owners Association in Nakuru.
The Bar Owners' Association (BAHLITA) wants the government to reconsider its position on the closure of bars as it is affecting its members' ability to earn a living.
According to BAHLITA secretary general Boniface Gachoka, they have so far been able to negotiate the reopening of 500 bars and liquor stores and are still working on the rest.
"At the beginning, 1,500 bars and liquor shops were closed, but gradually as we go on, we are trying to negotiate the reopening of the other liquor shops. At the moment, 17,000 people who were directly employed are not working while many more who were indirectly employed are also affected," Mr Gachoka said.
He is appealing to the government to be lenient as the businesses that are being closed down are legal and operating within the law.
in addition to this they reaffirmed their commitment to abide by the rules and regulations set by the government.
"The directives that were issued were given in good faith but we believe that the administrators who were supposed to enforce the directives are taking advantage to manipulate the people and whatever is going on is largely impunity," he said.
The illegal importation of ethanol, he says, is at its highest at the moment and the people who produce this second generation alcohol can easily access it to make their brews.
"The people who are fighting this illegal alcohol are the chiefs in the estates around the district and these local administrators are the same people who are fighting the bar owners," he says.
Mr Gachoka says he is aware that in Nakuru West, one particular chief has increased the amount of bribes he collects from the sellers of this illegal brew because he has successfully shut down the legal, licensed operators.
"The only way to end this is to involve the various stakeholders and if they want to deal with over 60% of all the issues surrounding the menace that is second generation alcohol, then they need to curb the illegal importation of ethanol."
A spot check by Mtaa Wangu revealed that it was business as usual at various estate bars in Mawanga, Shabab and White House.