•The operation which started over the weekend also saw the arrest of 25 bar owners in Starehe subcounty.
• Sakaja expressed concerns on the number of people dying on the roads due to alcohol abuse.
Image: FILE
At least 120 liquor stores around Matatu Termini have been shut down following a crackdown ordered by Governor Johnson Sakaja.
The operation which started over the weekend also saw the arrest of 25 bar owners in the Starehe subcounty.
In a statement from the Office of the Governor, the operation team was grouped into six; Country Bus Station where 10 outlets were closed and four suspects were arrested for selling illicit brew and booked at Kamukunji police station.
At the Muthurwa Terminus, 20 outlets were closed and no suspect was arrested.
Some 23 liquor outlets were closed at Hakati Bus Station Terminus with nine people having been arrested.
At the Accra Road Terminus, 27 outlets were hit down and eight arrested while along Latema Road Terminus 18 premises were closed and nobody was arrested.
Another 22 outlets were closed at the Old Nation Roundabout Terminus with six suspects being arrested.
County executive for Business and Hustler Opportunities Maureen Njeri said that preliminary data collection within Starehe established that most wines and spirits operating in the bus terminuses are unlicenced.
This meant that they were operating in contravention of the Nairobi City County alcoholic drinks control and Licensing Act of 2014.
"The Nairobi Liquor Department is in the process of collating data for the other outlets located in bus terminus across the other remaining sub counties foreclosure in the coming days," she said.
Last week, Sakaja directed the removal of all outlets selling wines and spirits at bus termini.
This is after receiving a report from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA) on the fatalities on Nairobi roads.
Speaking on Friday, Sakaja expressed concerns about the number of people dying on the roads due to alcohol abuse.
"In our stages and termini, madereva na touts wanakunywa sana.( drivers and touts are drinking a lot). The wines and spirits located at the stages, tutazitoa ( shall remove them)," he said.
The governor ordered Tony Kimani, the Chief officer for Security to ensure that all wines and spirits around bus termini are cleared within seven days.
"Tony, you have my instructions to clear all those wines and spirits that have been converted to bars. Clear them from the termini completely. I'm giving you seven days to clear them," Sakaja added.
The governor called on NTSA and Matatu Owners Association (MOA) to work together with his administration to put an end to the above menace.
He insisted that disorder in the county would not continue under his watch.
"We have lost loved ones due to recklessness on our roads because of alcohol and drug abuse. Nairobi is the capital city. We are working round the clock to ensure this," the governor said.
In addition, he announced that he will be having a meeting with the traffic department, all OCPDs, DCI officers, National Government Administrative Officers ( NGAO), and ward and county administrators to ensure that the menace is addressed.
In its report, NTSA reported that at least 22,885 people were involved in road accidents last year.
NTSA said 4,324 died while the rest were left mostly with life-changing injuries.
At least 10,769 people were seriously injured and 7,792 were slightly injured.
This was an increase of 1,127 compared to 2022 where 21,758 people were involved in road crashes and 4,690 died, 9,933 got seriously injured and 7,135 were slightly injured.