The Bar, Liquor and Hotels Traders Association has commended the government for re-opening bars after six months of closure.
Chairman Simon Jogoo Jogoo said on Tuesday many investors in the beverages sector had been devastated by the closure, with some opting to send their families to their rural homes due to the hard economic times.
President Uhuru Kenyatta on Monday eased restrictions to combat Covid-19 spread, among them reopening of bars until 10pm.
He said the move seeks to revamp the economy, which has been slowed down by the pandemic since March.
Jogoo lauded the President’s decision, saying it will help investors in the hospitality industry get their businesses "back on their feet".
“We want to assure the President that we will not let him down. We will follow the laid down guidelines and no bar will be allowed to re-open without observing social distancing measures,” he said.
He asked bar owners to ensure they join the association for them to easily manage themselves and ensure they follow government guidelines on Covid-19 prevention.
The chairman said strong saccos are the only way the sector that supports thousands of families can be able to regulate itself.
Last month, the association formed the Bar Kumi Initiative, which borrows heavily from the government’s Nyumba Kumi Initiative.
It is meant to discipline members. Each Bar Kumi group will have a leader who will handle errant members and forward repeat offenders to the authorities.
Jogoo said his association has 54,000 members countrywide, which makes it difficult to manage them.
“Those who do not follow the guidelines will suffer alone when their licences are cancelled,” Jogoo added.
He regretted that about 20 per cent of bar owners may not re-open due to lack of finances.
The operators will be required to clear six-month rent bills and acquire new stock as the old stock may have expired.
“Many operators use rental spaces and had agreed with landlords to clear their rent arrears once their businesses re-open,” he said.
The association is looking for financial institutions to assist traders to re-open with lenient credit terms.
The chairman asked bar owners to take advantage of the Sh2 billion kitty the government set aside to support the sector through the Tourism Finance Corporation.
The corporation has sent out emails to traders to make online applications before October 12 to benefit from the kitty.
The sector has been making losses of up to Sh6 billion every month since March when the pandemic hit the country.
Jogoo said the closure of bars had resulted in the rise of production and consumption of second generation liqour.
He said the association will be strict on the drinks sold by members to ensure only certified ones are on the shelves.
Edited by EKibii
