The New Nairobi Liquor Board Launched

By Shadrack Musumba

The Nairobi City County Liquor Board and the Sub County Committees have been launched in bid to regulate the sector in Governor Johnson Sakaja’s regime.

The event was presided over by Deputy Governor Njoroge Muchiri who asked the new board to ensure civic education and public awareness is regularly done on the effects of alcohol.

Also present was the CECM Rosemary Kariuki and Chief Officer for Business and Hustler Opportunities Zipporah Mwangi.

Kariuki reminded the new team to ensure liquor and alcoholic drinks should not be sold to persons under the age of 18 years.

“We are looking up to you to streamline what has been happening in the past such as noise pollution caused by pubs operating in the estates and selling alcohol to children,” she noted.

She also congratulated the new board and committee members lobbying for team work in order to ensure increase in revenue collection from the sector.

As Nairobi marks the 3rd month since the chief officers assumed their various offices, the chief officer for Business and Hustlers Zipporah Mwangi who is also incharge of liqour Board together with her team began the establishment of the very first of its kind Nairobi public rehabilitation center to take care of people affected by alcohol negatively.

This is in collaboration with both the health sector to provide treatment and social services to help in integrating them back to the community and their families while also linking them to job opportunities.

The proposed site is the Sinai Health Centre in Industrial Area.

“We are in the process of reviewing the liquor 2014 Act to remove the ambiguity and the grey areas that are presenting challenges in operationalization and to be able to accommodate the new emerging issues such as noise pollution in the estate areas denying families their Dignity and peace. As we welcome the new appointees into the alcohol drinks control and licensing board, I want to encourage them to selflessly undertake their new roles and duties in order to support liquor board adequately,” Zipporah said in her speech during the Board’s inauguration ceremony on Friday at Charter Hall Nairobi.

“I’m reminding you that individual commitments to the group is what will make the team work and this is what will make Nairobi liquor board to work …and eventually Nairobi in general to work …Lazima Nairobi  iwork,” she concluded.