Why Gachagua is facing early revolt in central turf

Deputy President Rigathi Gachagua is facing a wave of early revolt in his Central backyard even as he positions himself as the region's kingpin.

The DP's tough stance against alcoholic businesses across the region has triggered uproar with bar traders strongly rejecting his push.

Gachagua has ordered a ruthless crackdown on bars and directed that administrators work with country governments to reduce the number of alcoholic joints across the region.

However, there has been growing resistance from traders who have accused Gachagua of being insensitive to the plight of small hustles that he promised to protect.

The DP opened what looks like a can of worms a week ago when he visited Murang'a, ordering a ruthless crackdown on illicit brews as well.

"All county governments in Mount Kenya region must reduce and revoke licences issued to bars and restaurants because they are the ones destroying the lives of our young generation...It is sad that bars in this region are more than shops. I must tell the truth because the situation in our towns and villages is wanting," he said.

Already, the national administration officers in Murang'a county have moved to implement Gachagua's directive, tipping traders for massive cancellation of licences in the coming days.

The move will see more than 2,000 new bar licences applicants denied approval and the current 2,291 trimmed to 1,000.

For instance, the authorities have classified all the bars across the country into six categories, locking out mighty clubs from village towns and limiting each urban centre to only one.

Lifting the lid on the growing dissent in the region over Gachagua's one bar per town order, traders are crying foul that the move will not just kill businesses but livelihoods.

Murang'a Liquor Investors and Workers Union chair Agnes Njoki said "we will go to court if the government attempts to discriminate against us".

Njoki said "it is not illegal as per our law to apply for bar licences and also to trade in in liquor".

She accused both President William Ruto and Gachagua of pursuing a populist line not backed by both law and common sense.

"The sector directly employs hundreds of thousands of non-skilled parents. What is required of them is to regulate the alcohol standards...You cannot burn the granary to rid it of rats," she said.

Kirinyaga Bar Owners Association, led by chairman Anthony Mucheke, has come out to oppose Gachagua.

Mucheke opined that if Gachagua's proposal was to be enforced, bar owners and operators would lose their source of income, adding to the country's already high unemployment rate.

"As Kirinyaga bar owners, we will not agree to his demand and neither will we close our businesses. It's absurd to have people travel from one part of the county to another just to purchase alcohol from a single location," Mucheke said.

"While we respect DP Gachagua, he should know that most bar operators and owners are from Central Kenya. So should the government choose to enforce his directive many Mt. Kenya residents will lose their livelihoods."

Gachagua, who has vowed not to relent in his war against illicit brews and mushrooming bars, said consumption of illicit liquor had reached worrying levels, especially in the Mt. Kenya region.

"Bar and restaurant (license) tupeane moja kwa town. Hii ingine tufunge; wafungue saa kumi na moja hadi saa tatu. Tafadhali county commissioners and police please do your job. Let us save our children, let us save the next generation," said Gachagua last week.

Critics have warned Gachagua that his political fortunes might nosedive given his abrasiveness and his stance against alcohol.

Will he walk down the path of his predecessors in the campaign?

Former Naivasha MP John Mututho became a victim of his own legislation when in 2015 he led a vigorous campaign to streamline the sector.

Through his Mututho Laws, his political career dipped.

Retired President Uhuru Kenyatta's 2017 claim that the Mt Kenya region had a drinking problem partly cost him his support.

After leading the closure of several bars, the fight marked part of his political woes with the region with voters refusing to head his political pleas to support Raila Odinga in the last polls.

Past patterns now put Gachagua in an awkward situation as he pursues the same path that dipped the political careers of politicians.

But Gachagua has maintained that the fight is not meant to kill businesses but address the alcoholism menace that he said is ruining the lives of young people in the region.

'We will not close businesses that are licenced, what we have requested county governments to do is to deal reduce the number of outlets selling alcohol all over," he said recently.