Kenya Moves to Lift Drinking Age to 21 and Ban Online Alcohol Sales

Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) plans to tighten alcohol regulations by raising the legal drinking age to 21 from 18. The policy, cleared by the Cabinet on 24 June, also seeks to ban online alcohol sales, home deliveries and the sale of liquor near schools and places of worship, while creating alcohol-free zones around educational institutions and churches. The measures are part of the 2025 National Policy on the Prevention of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Use, which NACADA says is aimed at curbing what it calls a youth-driven alcohol crisis. A February survey of 15,678 university students found that 87.3 percent consume alcohol, with friends and neighborhood outlets cited as the main sources. NACADA intends to launch community outreach campaigns and collaborate with faith-based organisations to reinforce the restrictions once Parliament amends the relevant laws. The agency says the tighter rules will offer ‘zero tolerance’ for irresponsible alcohol promotion and provide additional safeguards for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.