Mututho prepared to lead unprecedented protest

Written By:Rufus Hunja,    Posted: Sat, Jan 15, 2011

The decision by the high court to suspend the alcohol drinking hours as stipulated in the alcoholic control act has been received with mixed reactions. While bar owners and their clients are celebrating, Naivasha Member of Parliament John Mututho insists that the regulations are technically in order since those who had filled the case are yet to serve responsible ministries with a restraining order. Mututho Saturday says he is prepared to lead an unprecedented protest in Nairobi if the court serves a permanent injunction, urging people to re-read the law since it has been misinterpreted.        On Friday, High Court judge John Mwera gave the temporary orders to suspend drinking hours after the Murang'a Bar Association moved to court to challenge the act citing immense losses in their business. The law, which came into force late last month prohibits alcohol from being sold before 2:00 pm on weekends and 5:00 pm on weekdays and bans licensing for an establishment located within 300 metres of a school. The bar owners claimed they have incurred huge losses and police were using the punitive law to extort money from them and their patrons. They are also suing Internal Security Minister George Saitoti and the National Campaign Against Drug Abuse Authority (NACADA) who have power under the act to enforce the law. They claimed a number of people, have been arraigned in various courts on questionable grounds and fined exorbitantly hence lowering the dignity of those in the liquor trade. The alcoholic drinks law initiated by Mututho was passed by parliament last year at a time the country was witnessing deaths due to consumption of illicit brews and number of men had been rendered important from consuming second generation brews. Anti-alcohol and drugs campaigners have welcomed the new rules, but bar owners and the country's all-important tourism sector have been highly critical. The Pubs, Entertainment And Restaurants Association Of Kenya (Perak) and the Kenya Association Of Hotels Keepers And Caterers (KAHC) had also complained saying the law will hit tourism because it limits tourists from visiting hotels with their children. The new law also clamps down on the deadly illicit brew known as Changa'a. Several people have been charged in court after they were arrested for drinking alcohol out-of-hours.