Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki's order to close bars in the nation's fight against illicit brew has been suspended by a Kisumu High Court.

In its decision, the court suspended Kindiki's order pending a hearing to settle the dispute. The Kisumu Bar Owners Association filed a lawsuit to contest the directive issued by CS Kindiki.

On March 6, Interior CS issued an order to close bars that were close to homes and schools. In addition, he ordered the closure of bars run by public employees, claiming that this would resolve the conflict of interest.


In Kirinyaga County, 114 bars owned by local and federal government representatives were closed on Monday.

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Kirinyaga County Commissioner Hussein Allasow Hussein claims that the action is being taken to prevent the bars from being reopened.

“Some of them are trying to quickly transfer them to third parties but they won’t succeed. We have already identified them and closed them,” he said.

The 114 bars are among the more than 400 that have closed as a result of the government's crackdown on the illegal alcohol trade, the County Commissioner continued.

Public officials who own or run bars were ordered by the government to either close them down or step down.