“I feel like Christmas has come again early in January,” says Paul Ochieng, as he downs his favourite Kenyan beer around midnight at a popular bar in Nairobi. Ochieng is among those who are finding momentary relief with the suspension of a new law prohibiting the selling and drinking of alcohol in bars within certain hours.
By Caasi Sagalai, Nairobi
The law enforced last December in Kenya prohibits the sale of alcohol before 2 pm on weekends and 5 pm on weekdays and that bars should close by 11 pm. Any bar that does not conform to this would face closing down. People found drinking outside these restricted hours would be arrested and charged.
“My Christmas was totally ruined by this weird law. It is torture to be denied my favourite beer at anytime. I buy drinks with my own money; why should someone have a problem with that,” says Ochieng.
Pub owners’ fight Due to the law, bars remained empty during some hours for the first time in the nation’s history. However, some pub owners fearing huge losses have successfully obtained an interim court order suspending the implementation of the law. They claimed it contains ambiguities, which have led to arbitrary arrests and extortion of bribes from bar patrons by the police.
So, until the matter is determined in court, alcohol lovers are enjoying the temporary relief and making up for the “lost drinking hours”.
Under the new law, bars are also restricted from operating within a distance of 300 metres of any learning institution. Up until the suspension of the law, over 100 customers and pub owners have been arrested for breach. They were condemned to either serve jail term or pay a hefty fine.
“Why should I be charged a penalty of 30,000 Kenyan Shillings (273 euros, ed) for drinking a bottle of beer I bought for myself? I want to drink anytime to be happy, unwind, and manage my stress. If they catch me, I might as well spend the 6 months in jail. This is an infringement of my freedoms under the Kenyan bill of right,” says Vitalis, a bar patron, who considers himself a ‘sworn and certified alcoholic.’
“The government should invest in development projects. Taxes on beer is big money- let us drink and build the economy. And they must not interfere with the leisure time of the citizens!” Vitalis adds.
Reason behind the law The government passed the law on the grounds that the consumption of illicit liquor had become rampant and some men reportedly became impotent owing to the drinking of compromised brews.
In the past, women in parts of Kenya have protested that their men had become dysfunctional, both as breadwinners and sexually, owing to excessive consumption of alcohol. It is not unusual for some men to spend whole days from dawn till dusk drinking in rural shopping centres, neglecting their responsibilities.
Anti-alcohol and anti-drugs campaigners have welcomed the law. But they also see a danger in that it could mean to those Kenyans, who can’t stay away from their bottles, to drink more within the opening hours.
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