Nairobi’s Digital Shift: Governor Sakaja Reports Surge in Business Compliance Following LiquorPay Launch

Governor Johnson Sakaja hails the LiquorPay digital platform for cutting bureaucracy and increasing revenue in Nairobi's liquor licensing sector.

By: AXL Media

Published: Mar 11, 2026, 5:48 AM EDT

Source: The information in this article was sourced from TUKO.co.ke

Streamlining the Capital’s Nightlife Economy

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has formally endorsed the performance of the "LiquorPay" digital system, a platform introduced to revolutionize how alcohol-related businesses operate within the city. Speaking during a strategic session with the Business and Hustler Opportunities sector, Sakaja noted that the transition from a manual to a digital framework has drastically reduced the time required for license approvals. By removing the traditional "gatekeepers" of the process, the administration aims to create a more business-friendly environment for the thousands of entrepreneurs driving Nairobi’s hospitality sector.

Significant Growth in License Uptake

The impact of the digitization was immediate, with February 2026 seeing an uptick of more than 1,000 additional licenses compared to previous months. Sakaja emphasized that this growth is not just a sign of a expanding industry, but a direct result of making the compliance process more accessible. "The LiquorPay system continues to help seal revenue leakages," Sakaja stated, noting that the transparency of the digital ledger makes it nearly impossible for funds to be diverted—a long-standing challenge that had historically plagued manual county revenue collection.

Eliminating the Middleman Culture

Dr. Anastacia Nyalita, the County Executive Committee member for Business and Hustler Opportunities, highlighted that the platform’s greatest achievement is the elimination of hidden costs. Previously, business owners often felt compelled to pay "facilitators" to navigate the complex web of manual inspections and county office visits. With LiquorPay, the entire journey—from the initial description of the business to the final payment—is handled through an online portal. Nyalita assured traders that as long as a premise meets the standard health and safety approvals, a full one-year license can be printed directly from a personal computer.