Kenya’s New Alcohol Crackdown Triggers Public Outrage

The latest proposals to control the sale and consumption of alcohol, including raising the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21 in Kenya has brewed controversy.

The sweeping proposed rules, unveiled on Wednesday, include a ban on purchasing alcohol in supermarkets, restaurants and on public transport. The online sale and home delivery of alcoholic drinks as well as celebrity endorsements will also be outlawed.

The authorities have defended the planned measures as necessary to address substance abuse especially among the youth. But many Kenyans, including those in the alcohol industry, have criticised the proposals as misguided and potentially destructive to the economy.

If they are approved then alcohol will only be available in pubs and bars as well as shops specifically licenced for its sale.

The plans were unveiled by National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) in what was seen as one of the most aggressive anti-alcohol policies the country has seen.

The agency estimated in 2022 that one in every 20 Kenyans aged between 15 and 65 were addicted to alcohol.