Bubble burst for Kajiado bar owners as court delays ruling on license

Lawyer Edwin Njagi, (right) representing bar owners association in kajiado vitually follow through the case at his office in Ngong. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Bar owners in Kajiado County will wait until next month to know the fate of their case on alcoholic drink licenses.

The business people had filed a petition seeking the court’s intervention in stopping the county government law enforcers from harassing them until the license payment mode is streamlined.

In a case filed before Justice Stella Mutuku, the bar owners had petitioned the court to stop law enforcers from the National and county governments from harassing and arresting them.

''Alcoholic drinking licenses for the year 2024 has not been streamlined, and therefore the county government should not use law enforcers to harass us including our patrons,'' read part of the petition.

Through their lawyer Edwin Njagi, the bar owners also argued that the county government had issued an aforesaid secular with the expectation that they would comply where no proper strategies were laid at to the payment of the same.

Lawyer Njagi also argued that despite unlawfulness, there are all intentions of enforcing a circular dated 6th August 2024, issued by the county government through its chief officer of social services upon the application which action will prejudice not only them but also the general revellers.

''The circular that allegedly lacked clear guidance to the payment of the current year's alcoholic drink license will and has continued to impose unnecessary and unlawful restrictions on the sale of alcohol in Kajiado county, and will result in a lack of jobs directly and indirectly.

However, Lawyer Paul Momanyi representing the County Government of Kajiado stated that his client was only served the evening before and did not have time to make their necessary response, he therefore opted to sort for more time.

Both parties agreed to adjourn the matter until 15th October 2024 to allow them to file their response to the application.