Liquor stores crackdown unearths fake Kebs standardization mark racket
A crackdown by Nairobi City County Alcoholic Control and Licensing Board has unearthed a tax evasion racket by dealers faking the standardization mark of quality by Kenya Bureau of Standards.
More than 10 liquor dealers were arrested on Thursday in Nairobi in the ongoing crackdown over non-compliance of government regulations with most dealers arrested flouting liquor and health requirements.
This comes after Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing board had given the operators until April 23 to close their business after their licenses were revoked following an audit of 609 existing liquor-selling outlets in the county.
The audit revealed that a majority of operators had not met the minimum requirements for licensing and had flouted liquor and health regulations.
A team from Nairobi County raided entertainment establishments and wholesale liquor businesses in Nasra and Mowlem estates in Nairobi’s Embakassi Central constituency where they netted drinks which lacked valid Kenya Bureau of Standards (Kebs) permits.
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At Lyniber Supplies Limited, an alcoholic plant located in Mowlem, Embakasi West Constituency, the board led by chairman Kennedy Odhiambo busted a Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) officer who had authenticated for distribution illicit liquor manufactured by the company.
They arrested the laboratory technician and six employees who were manually cleaning the recycled bottles, an importer and distributor who were found guilty of flouting public health provisions, liquor laws and license.
The board also arrested the owner of Starbase Entetrprises a distributor off spine road for operating without the requisite licenses and off Likoni Road an employee of Domains Kenya Limited, an Importer, after he was found physically placing KRA stickers on the purported imported drinks and also operating without license.
“Majority of operators had not met the minimum requirements of licensing and had liquor and health regulations. They are supposed to store the wines and spirits in a customized warehouse where KRA officials inspect. Where do they get this KRA stamps from?” posed Mr Odhiambo.
Mr Odhiambo said they had also closed down three liquor-selling outlets in the city for failing to meet the minimum requirements for licensing and health standards.
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“We have realised that some of these liquors do not have standardisation stickers as required by law. Some also have fake KRA codes, while others were selling expired drinks. This means that the drinks might be a health risk to consumers,” he said.
He stated that the operation is aimed at fighting the sale of illegal liquor in the county, stating that some of the alcoholic drinks were manufactured in neighbouring countries before being smuggled into the country.
He warned residents against consuming drinks manufactured by the company which mostly produces illicit spirits distributed in Mount Kenya and lower Eastern regions, adding that most entertainment joints are now selling adulterated drinks.
On his part, Inspection Committee chairman Mutunga Mutungi said that his officers are targeting illegal businesses in the county where unscrupulous traders are making the government lose revenue smuggling drinks to the country.
He said the inspection team was also focusing on the security of the premises, public health standards, the validity of the business license, product standardisation stickers and Kenya Revenue Avenue (KRA) excise stamps.
Mr Mutungi called on KRA to not only focus on the revenue collected from such businesses but also the welfare of the consumers.