Lawyer Donald Kipkorir has weighed in on the move to ban the sale of alcohol in some areas in the country.
The government has moved to ban the sale of alcohol in public beaches, public parks, amusement parks, recreational facilities, medical facilities, sports facilities, bus parks, bus stops, petrol stations, railway stations, public transport including trains, ferry stations, piers and along the highways.
In a statement on X, the lawyer said the ban on the sale of alcohol in the areas will kill the hospitality and tourism sector.
“Banning of sale of alcohol in supermarkets, restaurants, public beaches, recreational facilities, and petrol stations will kill the hospitality sector in Kenya and will kill tourism,” Kipkorir said.
“Tourism is driven by good food, alcohol (wine, beer and spirits) and intimacy.”
Kipkorir said the biggest tourism destinations in the world allow the activities, leaving it up to tourists to choose what they want.
However, the government said the ban is to prevent, reduce, and control access to and availability of alcohol, drugs and substances of abuse.
The state has set the minimum legal age for handling, purchasing, consuming and selling of alcohol to 21 years.
They have also banned the use of direct and indirect price promotions, discount sales, provision of free alcohol, sales below cost and flat rates for unlimited drinking or other types of volume sales.
According to them, the size, packaging, packing, and labelling, including ingredients, health warnings, messages, and pictorials on alcoholic drinks, will be regulated.
Other places banned from selling alcohol include vending machines, hawking, online sale of alcohol, home deliveries and couriers, supermarkets, outlets selling products associated with children and such as toy shops.
Others are residential premises and areas, restaurants and basic education, tertiary, and higher learning institutions.
Places of consumption prohibited are public beaches, public parks, amusement parks, recreational facilities, medical facilities, sports facilities, bus parks, bus stops, petrol stations, railway stations, ferry stations, piers and along the highways.
Others are restaurants, restaurants and dining areas in members’ clubs and hotels and basic education, tertiary and higher learning institutions.
