The National Authority for the Campaign against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) intends to raise Kenya’s legal drinking age from 18 to 21 in an effort to stem the rising tide of alcohol and drug misuse among the youth.
This fresh development is contained in the newly signed 2025 National Policy on Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse, adopted by the Cabinet on June 24. The policy provides for a string of wide-reaching reforms to enhance control over access, marketing, and sale of alcohol in the country.
“The proposal to raise the legal drinking age to 21 is a well-informed prevention strategy grounded in scientific research, public health best practices, and evidence from global success stories,” NACADA explained.
https://googleads.g.doubleclick.net/pagead/ads?gdpr=0&client=ca-pub-6313163271830327&output=html&h=280&adk=252216519&adf=2201137921&pi=t.aa~a.3053581028~i.7~rp.4&w=660&abgtt=11&fwrn=4&fwrnh=100&lmt=1752551309&num_ads=1&rafmt=1&armr=3&sem=mc&pwprc=5642937580&ad_type=text_image&format=660×280&url=https%3A%2F%2Fnairobiwire.com%2F2025%2F07%2Fkenya-to-raise-legal-drinking-age-to-21-ban-online-alcohol-sales-and-celebrity-ads-under-new-policy.html&fwr=0&pra=3&rh=165&rw=660&rpe=1&resp_fmts=3&wgl=1&fa=27&dt=1752566328123&bpp=7&bdt=56087&idt=8&shv=r20250708&mjsv=m202507140101&ptt=9&saldr=aa&abxe=1&cookie=ID%3D4892f70a1105497d%3AT%3D1748246429%3ART%3D1752566312%3AS%3DALNI_MY9Q5S8wLaTI6plYKTnHVswydxHkw&gpic=UID%3D000010c705f889f4%3AT%3D1748246429%3ART%3D1752566312%3AS%3DALNI_MZlZLQ5Axfn85a1pHp-djbmbNi9Ow&eo_id_str=ID%3De695567130f1d033%3AT%3D1748246429%3ART%3D1752566312%3AS%3DAA-AfjabD-69FSOs58KQ_AniDVly&prev_fmts=0x0%2C265x250%2C660x280&nras=3&correlator=3682980779468&frm=20&pv=1&u_tz=180&u_his=1&u_h=768&u_w=1024&u_ah=728&u_aw=1024&u_cd=24&u_sd=1&adx=36&ady=1765&biw=1007&bih=643&scr_x=0&scr_y=0&eid=31093427%2C95332923%2C95353386%2C95362655%2C95365461%2C95365699%2C95366349%2C95359266%2C31093448%2C95344787%2C95366367&oid=2&pvsid=7029148638219373&tmod=2085467886&nvt=1&ref=https%3A%2F%2Fnairobiwire.com%2F&fc=1408&brdim=-8%2C-8%2C-8%2C-8%2C1024%2C0%2C1040%2C744%2C1024%2C643&vis=1&rsz=%7C%7Cs%7C&abl=NS&fu=128&bc=31&bz=1.02&pgls=CAA.~CAEaBTYuOC4x&ifi=4&uci=a!4&btvi=2&fsb=1&dtd=96374 Nacada backed its proposal to raise the legal drinking age with research showing that delaying alcohol use among young people significantly lowers the risk of addiction, brain damage, and risky behaviour.
“The brain continues developing until the mid-20s,” the Authority noted.
The authority also cited foreign models, mentioning countries like the United States with a 21-year-old legal drinking age as examples. These countries, Nacada clarified, have lower rates of underage drinking, fewer drunken-driving deaths, and less alcohol-related harm than countries with lower drinking ages.
Online Alcohol Sales, Celebrity Ads Banned
Under a nationwide crackdown on underage drinking, the government will ban all online purchases of alcohol, from buying it from mobile apps and dispensing machines. Home delivery of alcohol will also be outlawed, a move Nacada says targets one of the biggest avenues minors use to access alcohol.
“The online space has become a loophole. Teenagers are ordering alcohol from their phones and getting it delivered to their homes. This must stop,” Nacada stated.
The new policy will also introduce strict zoning laws to minimize alcohol availability in sensitive areas. Under the proposed rules, no bar or liquor store will be allowed within 300 meters of schools, churches, or residential neighborhoods.
Additionally, the policy takes aim at alcohol marketing. Celebrities will be banned from advertising or promoting alcohol brands, and alcohol adverts will not be screened during children’s television shows, school events, or national holidays.
“Celebrity endorsements have a big influence on young people. We are removing that pressure and glamorisation,” Nacada emphasized.
To ensure the reforms take root, Nacada will engage with the county governments, police units, and local leaders to roll out the changes across the country.
“This is not just a policy on paper. It is a call to action at all levels,” Nacada emphasized. “We are losing too many young people, and these reforms are necessary to save lives.”
The policy comes in response to alarming statistics from Nacada’s 2025 national survey, which revealed that around 13 percent of Kenyans aged 15 to 65, an estimated 4.7 million people, consume alcohol. The highest rates were recorded among young adults aged 18 to 24.
Even more concerning, the survey found that 87.3 percent of university students in Kenya use alcohol, with many accessing drugs through friends, campus canteens, and neighborhood bars.
Eastern Scoop News 