About 120 liquor joints have been shut down and 25 people arrested during a crackdown within Starehe sub-county, Nairobi County, Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced.
In a statement on Tuesday Sakaja said that a joint operation by the Nairobi Liquor Department, Security and Compliance and National police targeted six bus termini.
Teams were deployed to the Country Bus Station, Muthurwa Terminus, Hakati Bus Station Terminus, Accra Road Terminus, Latema Road Terminus and Old Nation Roundabout.
Ten joints were shut down at Country Bus and four were arrested, 20 joints closed at Muthurwa, 23 joints closed at Hakati station and 9 were arrested.
At Accra road terminus, 27 joints were shut down and 8 persons arrested, 18 joints closed at Latema Road and 22 outlets shut down at Old Nation where 6 persons were also arrested.
The crackdown follows a directivr by Sakaja to clump down on all wines and spirit joints located near terminals in the sub-county.
During a meeting with the Matatu Owners Association (MOA) and officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on February 24, Sakaja raised concerns over increased road crashes which have been linked to drunk driving.
He said the decision had been arrived at after receiving a report from the NTSA detailing the number of deaths in the county and the causes which he said was mainly because of alcohol.
“Drivers and touts are spending most of their time in these wines and spirits that have turned into bars and drinking dens as they wait for customers. We have even discovered that all these bars targeted have been operating with the required licenses,” he said.
