Kenya: The Nairobi City Alcoholic Drinks and Licensing Bill recommends harsh penalties for, among other things parents who take their underage children to establishments licenced to sell alcoholic beverages.
It also seeks to establish the the County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Board and the Sub County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Committees.
The latter are critical because at present establishments licenced to sell alcohol are using documents obtained from the provincial administration.
Nairobi is not alone in seeking to devolve the Alcoholic Drinks Act to the county.
Others are on the way in all the 47 counties with variations, but generally expected to remain within the spirit of the mother law. It is hoped that the public will have been given sufficient time to provide their input so that the final Bill is truly reflective of the wishes of the majority.
There is plenty of attention given to setting up of rehabilitation centres for recovering alcoholics which is welcome although the mode for their funding is still not very clear.
With regard to exposure of underage children to alcohol in public venues, the situation appears to have gotten out of hand with many establishments allowing the most brazen forms of adult excesses in the name of family fun days.
The marketing phrase “family fun day” has in fact been adopted by many establishments as a way to boost sales of alcoholic beverages, with the targets being parents who accompany their children to such events. Inevitably, some parents opt to stay at such venues until very late with their children, exposing them to various excesses that accompany drunkenness.
What is instructive is that the Bill not only recommends penalties for such establishments, but also for the irresponsible parents and guardians who knowingly put their children on the path to a life of alcoholism and sexual promiscuity.
But what appears good on paper may prove difficult to enforce given the extent of corruption within law enforcement agencies and the county’s .
To date, for instance, the National Campaign Against Abuse of Drugs and Alcohol (Nacada) has been unable to shut down many establishements within Nairobi, located too close to primary and secondary schools.
It is the weakness in enforcement that lends credence to the pessimists’ view that the proposed devolution of the Alcoholic Drinks Act will see it used more as a means of extortion outside its original intent.
But controlling behaviour related to alcohol use ultimately has to be an indivisual choice that no amount of policing can instil.
So far the Government claims its use of Alcoblow to reduce accidents linked to drink driving has been a success, but many refute this saying it has become another means for the police to demand hefty bribes from affected motorists.
