A woman identified as Betty Makena, the owner of a wine and spirit shop in the Black Devil area of Jomvu sub-county, Mombasa, has been arrested after failing to display a mandatory warning sign indicating that alcohol sales to individuals below 18 years of age were strictly prohibited by law.
The liquor store owner appeared before Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo and pleaded guilty to the charges brought against her.
The charge sheet reads;
“On July 25 this year at about 22.46 hours at Betiz Wines and Spirit in the Black Devil area of Jomvu sub-county within Mombasa being the owner of the said liquor store she failed to display a prescribed warning sign informing members of the public that sale of the available alcoholic drinks for persons below the age of 18 years was prohibited by law.”
Makena further faced a second count of selling alcoholic drinks without a valid liquor license, a contravention of section 7(1)b as read with section 62 of the alcoholic drinks control Act number 4 of 2010.
The court took these violations seriously, and as a result, Mombasa Senior Resident Magistrate David Odhiambo handed down his verdict.
The woman was ordered to pay a fine of Ksh25,000, failing which she would have to serve a three-month jail term as punishment for her infractions. She was granted 14 days from the date of the verdict to lodge an appeal, should she choose to challenge the court’s decision.
