Kirinyaga County Commissioner Shufaa Omar Mwijuma has promised to shut down two bars in Kagio and Kutus for allegedly hosting naked dancers. Mwijuma said that the county authorities have received intelligence on the two hotspots, which operate nightly and weekly respectively. During a stakeholders’ meeting to discuss measures to take against illicit and counterfeit alcohol in Kirinyaga, the commissioner said that they would carry out an operation on Thursday on the Kagio establishment.

“As long as I am the County Commissioner of Kirinyaga, this nightclub will be closed,” Mwijuma said of the establishment in Kagio town in Ndia.

The commissioner said that the activities at the establishment take place at night and promised that the authorities would move against it.

“Thursday we will be in Kagio to close a bar where ladies are dancing naked. It happens daily in Kagio and starts at night. It is a lack of good manners and we will not allow it,” she said. “These two bars should be closed completely. This activity will not be allowed in this county.”

Mwijuma’s warning to the owners of the two establishments comes as national and county officials deliberate on a more significant problem of uncontrolled licensing of bars that illegally sell and distribute alcohol in Kirinyaga. The meeting, which was attended by chiefs and assistant chiefs from Gichugu, was to discuss measures to take against illicit and counterfeit liquor. Wild proliferation of bars and nightclubs selling and distributing alcohol without proper licensing was also identified as a challenge.

National Authority for Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) Deputy Director for Compliance, Amos Warui said the residents should play a role in the next steps of the licensing process to help identify the number of bars and restaurants in their respective areas.

“We want to save our people who are very much affected by this illicit brew,” said Warui, adding that licensed bars and restaurants are allowed to operate between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m..

The official said that they would require the combined efforts of the national and county authorities to tackle the rampant sales of illicit alcohol in the region.

Mwijuma said the authorities have received intelligence on the two establishments and that they would move against them. However, the allegations levelled against the owners of the bars and restaurants have yet to be tested in court. Neither of the two establishments has been tested as having violated any regulation. Mwijuma’s move against the two establishments will be significant in proving that the businesses do not comply with the regulations. In addition, the operation will be crucial for the owners of the establishments as it would set the tone for any further procedures against their businesses.

The operation comes as the authorities have ramped up efforts to control the unregulated sale of alcohol in Kirinyaga County. The unregulated bars, which primarily deal in illicit and counterfeit liquor, have been a menace to the residents of the county. For the owners of the targeted establishments, the closure of their businesses would be a great blow as they would need to ensure that they comply with the regulations before they can reopen. On the other side, the county and national authorities will need to collect substantial evidence to prove that the establishments violated the existing rules and regulations.