In the recently released The Public Health (COVID-19 Sale of Alcoholic Drinks) Rules, 2020 developed under the Public Health Act (Cap. 242), The Cabinet Secretary for Health, Mutahi Kagwe, issued a number of guidelines that would have far reaching impact on the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the measures proposed in the new rules include that: alcoholic drinks shall not be sold to sit-in customers at restaurants, eateries, bars, food courts, entertainment joints, supermarkets, wines & spirits shops or in any other business establishment (r. 3(1)); and a person shall not consume any alcoholic drink in a public place including a public park, restaurant, parking lot, eatery, bar, entertainment joint, supermarkets or wines and spirits shop (r. 5(1)).
The rules provide for penalties and anyone found violating the above rules commits an offence and on conviction shall be liable to a fine not exceeding twenty thousand shillings or to imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months pursuant to rule 6.
Read the full article by Dr Paul Ogendi on our Research and Innovation Blog, https://uonresearch.org/blog/the-new-ban-on-alcohol-is-actually-meant-to-free-hospital-beds-and-icu-units-for-covid-19-patients/
