NACADA calls for the closure of entertainment joints on the eve of elections

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) is calling for the closure of all bars and entertainment joints a day before the elections.

According to NACADA Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Victor Okioma, most violence experienced during the elections is from intoxicated youths noting that the move would be key in promoting peace.

“We are calling for a closure of all bars during the elections. Business owners, religious leaders and security agents have met and agreed that there would be no bars in operation during the eve of the elections and during the elections.

"We are in talks with the Minister of Interior to see whether he could give the greenlight for the proposal,” Okioma said.

NACADA CEO Victor Okioma NACADA CEO Victor Okioma Pulse Live Kenya

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Okioma said some counties had already embraced the move as he pushed for other counties to also give the orders with the elections a few days away. He further urged the youth not to be used by politicians to cause chaos and similarly cautioned politicians against using the youth in interfering with other leaders’ campaigns.

“We are calling on the leaders not to misuse the youth. We ask them not to be used to disrupt rallies. That is the engagement we are having across the country,” said Okioma.

NCIC recommends Facebook shutdown

The move by NACADA comes just days after the National Cohesion and Integration Commission (NCIC) also called for the shutdown of Facebook as it was being used in spreading of hate speech as the country approached the elections.

The proposal was however shot down by Interior Cabinet Secretary Fred Matiang’i and his Information Communication Technology (ICT) counterpart Joe Mucheru who said no media was going to shut down during the elections.

“We work in a democratic set up we are not going to interfere with social media and the internet just because of elections, my colleague in ICT have expressed ourselves on the matter several times before,” Matiang’i affirmed.