- This comes after the government announced a raft of measures to curb the alcohol menace.
- Among them is a 21-day suspension of all 52 licenses and permits issued to manufacturers and distillers of second-generation alcohol.
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Taita Taveta Governor Andrew Mwadime has differed with the government over the move to close bars in his county.
According to the governor, the National Government has no legal mandate to withdraw any licenses issued by the Sub-County Committee.
This comes after the government said it will not allow bars selling illegal alcohol to operate.
Among them is a 21-day suspension of all 52 licenses and permits issued to manufacturers and distillers of second-generation alcohol.
"It has come to my attention that the Taita Taveta County security team has closed down legal businesses of law-abiding citizens and withdrawn their licenses contrary to Taita Taveta County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Act (2016) Section 9 (1, 2)," Mwadime said on Thursday in a statement.
"The Sub-County Committee shall after considering the application, indicate in writing whether it objects to the grant of the licence applied for Where the Sub-County Committee has no objection to the application under Section 8, it shall grant a licence to the applicant upon payment of the prescribed fees."
According to him, section 12 (1, 2) stipulates that every license and every renewal, transfer, withdrawal, or cancellation thereof shall be sufficiently authenticated by the sub-county committee.
Section 20 (1) The Sub-County committee may revoke a license in accordance with the Act, he added.
He said that the Sub-County Committee legally and procedurally inspected and approved the issuance of licenses to various businesses in the County.
Mwadime added that the exercise was carried out by the Sub-County Liquor and Licensing Committee comprising the Sub-County police commander, Sub-County enforcement officer and Sub-County public health officer.
Others are the Sub-County revenue officer, Sub-County trade officer, Sub-County administrator, and four members of the public appointed by the governor.
The Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (2010), he said, stipulates that it is the function of the County Government to issue liquor licenses.
The governor said that licenses that were issued by the committee after meeting the criteria stipulated in the act should not be withdrawn.
He further added that businesses that have licences issued by the Sub-County Committee must not be closed.
"Therefore, I direct all businesses inspected, approved, and issued with valid liquor licenses to continue operating within the stipulated time frame," he said.
"I take cognizance of the fact that illicit brew and hard drugs have become a menace, therefore, call upon the multi-sectoral team to channel their energy to close these dens and ruthlessly crack down on hard drugs and substance dealers."