Hotels okayed to sell alcohol in rooms, confirms Balala
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has given hotels the green light to sell alcohol to their guests but only in their private rooms.
The declaration comes just nine days after President Uhuru Kenyatta banned the sale of alcohol in bars and hotels in a bid to curb further spread of coronavirus
According to Balala, lodges, hotels and resorts can now sell alcohol to their checked-in clients on room service basis.
Balala was responding to queries from the Kenya Association of Hotel Keepers and Caterers (KAHKC) chief executive Mike Macharia, who had sought the ministry’s advice on the matter.
On August 3, Macharia had written to the CS seeking clarification on the matter since most of hotels had included sale of alcohol in the their re-opening offer packages.
The move comes as a major relief to the hotels, which offer room services but were prohibited to sale alcohol at their premises due to the directive by the President.
“The President’s announcement on the issue of the sale of alcohol was clear that it should not to be sold to the public in hotels/restaurants to mitigate the spread of Covid-19.
However, after consultation with the Ministry of Health, alcohol can only be served in private and not in the public domain,” the CS said in his letter.
Last month, during his address to the nation, President Uhuru announced an immediate stop of sale of alcohol in bars and restaurants for 30 days.
