City Hall intensifies crackdown on illicit alcohol traders with new digital licensing system

Lydia Mathia - Chief Officer Trade,during a Media briefing./HANDOUT

The Nairobi City County Government has intensified its enforcement operations against illicit brews and unregulated alcohol trade across the city, directing all liquor traders operating within the county to onboard onto the new digital LiquorPay System ahead of the December deadline or face closure of their businesses.

Speaking during a joint alcohol sensitisation campaign and compliance drive in Eastleigh, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Business, Hustler and Opportunity, Dr Anastasia Nyalita, alongside Chief Officer for Business and Hustler Opportunities Lydia Mathia, emphasised that the digital platform is mandatory for anyone wishing to operate within Nairobi.

The LiquorPay System is designed to streamline the alcoholic drinks sector by strengthening oversight, automating revenue collection and eliminating manual loopholes that have historically shielded rogue operators.

“We are cleaning up the sector to protect our communities and support genuine investors. Moving forward, every single transaction, inspection and licence renewal must go through the digital ledger. If you are not on the LiquorPay platform by the close of the deadline, the system will lock you out automatically, and enforcement teams will shut down your premises,” said Dr Nyalita.

The deployment of the system allows county authorities to track industry operations in real time. The county says the digital oversight forms part of Nairobi’s broader strategy to curb illicit brews and prevent the unauthorised spread of bars into residential neighbourhoods and school zones.

Chief Officer Lydia Mathia said the county remains committed to supporting micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs), but added that business growth must comply with public safety and regulatory requirements.

“Our goal under the ‘Hustler’ agenda is to create opportunities and ease the way of doing business in Nairobi. By removing manual paperwork and middlemen, LiquorPay makes licensing fast and transparent for law-abiding traders. However, compliance is a two-way street. Those who choose to operate outside the law and ignore this registration window will not be permitted to trade in alcoholic beverages in this city,” said Mathia.

Traders have been urged to log onto the Nairobi eServices portal or dial *647# to link their operations to the Unified Business Permit (UBP) framework and complete registration before the compliance window closes