Nairobi News

HashtagNews

Hotels given go ahead to sell alcohol to guests in their rooms


Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has given hotels the go ahead to sell alcohol to their guests but only in their private rooms and not in public spaces.

Balala made the communication on Tuesday in a letter to Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers CEO, Mike Macharia, who had sought the ministry’s advice on the matter.

“The President’s announcement on the issue of the sale of alcohol was clear that alcohol should not to be sold to the public in hotels/restaurants to mitigate the spread of Covid-19. However, after consultation with the Cabinet Secretary, Ministry of Health, serving of alcohol can only be served in private and in their rooms and not in the public domain,” Balala said in his letter.

Last month, during his address to the nation, President Uhuru Kenyatta announced an immediate stop of sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants for the next 30 days. The head of state also directed that all bars remain closed indefinitely to slow down the rising rate of Covid-19 transmission in the country.

ALCOHOL-FUELED SOCIALISING

This was after reports emerged that members of the public have been visiting bars in the dead of the night way past curfew hours.

Earlier this month, Kenya began easing some economic and domestic travel restrictions. International travel into the country resumed on Saturday.

However, the cases have kept rising. Part of the rise in the caseload is attributed to increased testing.

The government has tailored its policies toward one context in which contact tracers say the virus is likely to spread in alcohol-fueled socialising, particularly among the young.