Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja Friday ordered all drinking joints located around bus stations to be closed within seven days.
He made the orders during a meeting attended by the Matatu Owners Association (MOA) and officials from the National Transport and Safety Authority (NTSA). Sakaja raised concerns over increased road crashes which have been linked to drunk driving.
He said the decision had been arrived at after receiving a report from the NTSA detailing the number of deaths in the county and the causes which he said was mainly because of alcohol.
The governor instructed the County Security Chief Officer Tony Kimani to ensure the drinking dens are cleared from the bus stations.
“Drivers and touts have become habitual drinkers. We are going to remove the wines and spirits located at the stages within a week. “
“Tony, you have my instructions to clear all the wines and spirits which have turned out to be bars…clear them from the terminus completely. I am giving you seven days. They are not in the right place,” he said.
But many of those running the businesses faulted the directive terming it illegal and ill advised. They said the location of the joints do not influence drinking.
The county boss however defended his decision arguing that matatu drivers and touts had been imbibing liquor as they waited for passengers.
He said this has led to the majority of accidents.
“If I show you the report I was sent today by a friend from NTSA, the extent of fatalities on our roads…we are losing too many people, watu wanakufa and it is mainly because of alcohol,” said Sakaja.
He said he would be meeting all security officials, National Government Administrative Officers (NGAO), and ward and county administrators to ensure the directive is enforced.
Sakaja’s remarks come after a recent report by NTSA early this month announced that a total of 3,090 Kenyans have either died or sustained injuries in road accidents from January 1 to February 11, 2024.
According to the statistics, 563 of the victims had succumbed, 1,403 had been seriously injured and 1,124 had been slightly injured.
NTSA said that 216 pedestrians died, 246 got serious injuries and 61 got minor injuries.
Some of the accidents are linked to drink driving.