Meru activist sues Liquor board, Kawira government over alleged breach of law

Meru activist Salesio Thuranira Mutuma has moved to court seeking orders to stop Meru County Alcoholic Drinks Control Board from carrying out any inspection for licensing on Bars, Hotels, and Liquor business premises.

Mr Mutuma has accused the alcoholic board of being dysfunctional noting that it is not properly constituted.

“The Meru County Alcoholic Drinks Control Board is not properly constituted since it has only two members from the public out of five and it has no substantive Chairperson as provided for in the Meru County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act of 2016 and therefore, it is dysfunctional,” Mutuma says in his petition.

In his petition against the alcoholic board and the County Government of Meru, Mutuma claims that the current inspections of the entertainment joints are illegal arguing that they are carried out without proper procedures and authority from Meru Alcoholic Drinks Control Board.

He argued that the inspections are being carried out without proper public participation and interagency collaboration as established in Section 15 of the Meru County Alcoholic Drinks Control Board act.

The renowned activist argued that bar owners’ rights are being interfered with during the inspection noting that the inspecting team has been threatening them with the closure of their businesses.

Mutuma who applied for a certificate of urgency called on the court to issue an order of reviewing or amending the Meru County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act of 2016 to be in tandem with the Public Finance Management Act of 2012.

In the lawsuit, Mutuma alleges Meru Alcoholic Drinks Control Board of charging levies that are not in line with Part IV in Section 25 of the Meru County Finance Act, 2019.

Mutuma also accuses the board of running its bank accounts through unauthorized signatories.

The case will be heard tomorrow morning.