The Nairobi City County Government has stepped up efforts to regulate the alcohol business in the capital, warning liquor traders that failure to register under a new digital licensing system will lead to closure of their businesses.
County officials said all alcohol outlets operating within Nairobi must migrate to the LiquorPay System before the December deadline as part of a wider campaign targeting illicit brews and non-compliant traders.
Speaking during an awareness and compliance exercise in Eastleigh, County Executive Committee Member for Business, Hustler and Opportunity Anastasia Nyalita said the digital platform would help improve monitoring of alcohol businesses and seal loopholes that have enabled illegal operators to thrive.
“We are cleaning up the sector to protect our communities and support genuine investors. Moving forward, every single transaction, inspection, and license renewal must go through the digital ledger. If you are not on the LiquorPay platform by the close of the deadline, the system will lock you out automatically, and enforcement teams will shut down your premises,” said Dr. Nyalita.
County officials said the new system is expected to automate licensing processes, strengthen revenue collection and improve tracking of alcohol businesses across the city.
Authorities also noted that the platform forms part of Nairobi’s strategy to curb the spread of dangerous illicit brews and prevent bars from operating illegally within residential estates and near schools.
Chief Officer for Business and Hustler Opportunities Lydia Mathia said the county still supports small businesses but insisted traders must comply with regulations.
“Our goal under the ‘Hustler’ agenda is to create opportunities and ease the way we do business in Nairobi. By removing manual paperwork and middlemen, LiquorPay makes licensing fast and transparent for law-abiding traders. However, compliance is a two-way street. Those who choose to operate outside the law and ignore this registration window will not be permitted to trade in alcoholic beverages in this city,” said Mathia.
The county government has urged liquor traders to register through the Nairobi eServices portal or use the county short code to connect their businesses to the Unified Business Permit system before the compliance period lapses.
