Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) has today launched a policy that bans the sale and consumption of alcohol in several public places.
The National Policy for the Prevention, Management and Control of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Abuse of July 2025 is aimed at preventing,reducing and controlling the access and availability of alcohol in the East African Country.
The Kenyan government has also set the age of 21 as the minimum legal age for consuming alcohol, effectively ending the 18 year legal limit. In this case, no person under the age of 21 will be allowed to access or enter any alcohol-selling outlets — whether accompanied or unaccompanied by an appropriate adult.
The New Policy has also banned delivery of liquor to people’s homes by vendors which is a popular option for urban residents in Kenya.
Social media influencers and celebrities have been prohibited from endorsing,promoting, advertising alcohol,drugs and substances. The law has also prohibited entertainment, sports and media personalities from the same.
“There shall be no use of entertainment, sports personalities, media personalities and models, social media influencers, or celebrities in endorsing,promoting and advertising alcoholic drinks, drugs and substances,” Nacada says.
Here are the modes and places where the sale of alcohol has been banned:
Vending machines.public beaches, public parks,amusement parks, recreational facilities, medical facilities, sports facilities, bus parks,bus stops,petrol stations, railway stations,public transport including trains, ferry stations, piers, and along the highway.
Hawking, online sale of alcohol, home deliveries and couriers, supermarkets, outlets selling products associated with children, such as toy shops. Residential premises and areas. Restaurants, basic education, tertiary, and higher learning institutions.
In the above places,drinking alcohol is also banned according to the new law and all alcohol-related businesses have been prohibited from naming and branding sports teams after an alcoholic drink’s product.The new policy also bans companies from sponsoring,branding a sports league, tournament or a national team.
This policy has emerged as a result of collaborative efforts involving stakeholders across Kenya—from national and county governments to civil society, faith-based groups, the private sector, and the general public according to Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen.
“Together,we have forged a unified approach to prevent, mitigate, and control the devastating impact of alcohol, drugs, and substance abuse in our nation,” he says in a Forward of the Policy document.
Nacada is the agency that will be mandated with implementing the policy.It will be charged with mobilising and aligning stakeholders in designing,executing,and monitoring interventions aimed at reducing substance abuse and its devastating effects in Kenya.
Statistics (Via: NACADA, 2022 survey)
The data from a national survey conducted by the National Authority
for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), in collaboration with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) and the Tobacco Control Board, reveals alarming trends in substance abuse initiation among Kenyans.The study indicates a steady decline in the minimum age of initiation for various substances,with children as young as 6 years starting tobacco use,7 years for alcohol,8 years for cannabis and prescription drugs,and 9 years for khat.Harder substances such as heroin and cocaine had higher initiation ages of 18 and 20 years,respectively (NACADA, 2022).
Alcohol remains the most commonly abused substance in Kenya,contributing significantly to morbidity and mortality. Key findings from
the survey include:
• 1 in every 6 Kenyans (4.7 million) aged 15–65 currently uses at least
one drug or substance;
• 1 in every 8 Kenyans (3.2 million) consumes alcohol;
• 1 in every 12 Kenyans (2.3 million) uses tobacco;
• 1 in every 53 Kenyans (518,807) uses cannabis;
• 1 in every 500 Kenyans (60,407) misuses prescription drugs; and
• 1 in every 15 Kenyans (1.77 million) engages in polydrug use (multiple
substances).
The burden of addiction in Kenya is severe, with a critical shortage of treatment and rehabilitation services.
The data highlights:
• 1 in every 20 Kenyans (1.36 million) is addicted to alcohol;
• 1 in every 30 (887,627) is addicted to tobacco; and
• 1 in every 111 (234,855) is addicted to cannabis.
Additionally, a significant proportion of current users are dependent on
these substances:
• 42.4% of alcohol users are addicted;
• 38.8% of tobacco users are addicted; and
• 47.4% of cannabis users are addicted.
