Kiambu County Issues Directives on Renewal Liquor Licenses

Kiambu County has issued fresh directives over the renewal of all alcohol licenses in the county. 

In a notice issued via the Gazette Notice dated Friday, January 10, County Executive Committee Member in charge of Administration and Public Service Margaret Ruinge directed that all pending licenses be reviewed under the 2022 laws. This is pending the formation of ward committees in charge of the review under the new laws passed last year.

“It is directed that all pending applications for license will be reviewed as earlier provided under the Kiambu County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (Revised 2022) pending the constitution of the Ward Committees as provided under the Kiambu County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2024,” the notice read in part.

According to Ruinge, the county will review the licenses under the past legal guidelines as Kiambu prepares to move forward with new legislation. The Ward Committees will also be tasked with reviewing appeals launched for the grant of licenses.

According to the new laws, the Kiambu County Alcoholic Drinks Bill 2024, a person intending to produce, manufacture, or distribute any alcoholic drink in the county or to operate an establishment for the sale of an alcoholic drink shall make an application in writing in the prescribed form to the ward committee or the ward representative in the ward where the premise is to be situated, where applicable, and shall pay a prescribed fee. 

Under the new law, the Ward Committee shall prepare a notice setting forth the names of all applicants, the types of licenses applied for, the premises in respect of which the licenses are applied for, and the time, date, and place of the meeting. The Committee is also issued a copy of the notice to be published at the offices of the Ward Administrator for not less than 21 consecutive days. The same notice should be posted in a conspicuous place at or near the applicant’s premises. 

Within thirty days of the issuance of the notice, the licensing officer shall table before the ward committee a report on the suitability of the applicants.

Subsequently, the committee shall consider the officer’s report regarding all the applications made and proceed to either grant or refuse to grant a liquor license. 

In Kenya, there are different types of liquor licenses that individuals and companies with a goal of selling liquor can apply for. 

The prices for various licenses are as follows: general retail alcoholic drink license which is charged at Ksh50,000. The general retail alcoholic drink license (liquor store) is charged at Ksh24,000, while the brewer’s alcoholic drink license is Ksh1 million, and a bottler’s alcoholic drink license is Ksh250,000.

A hotel alcoholic drink license may cost Ksh50,000, and a restaurant alcoholic drink license Ksh30,000. As for a supermarket and franchised retail stores, an alcoholic drink license goes for Ksh80,000.

A temporary or occasional alcoholic drink license may cost about Ksh1,000. To transfer an alcoholic drink license costs Ksh1,000 and Ksh1,000 for a license to remove an alcoholic drink.