Kenya Bill Would Raise Drinking Age to 21 and Ban Bars Near Schools
The bill, read for the first time in Kenya's National Assembly, would also end online and home-delivery alcohol sales and put a new levy toward fighting drug abuse.
Learn more ›NAIROBI, Kenya —
A bill read for the first time in Kenya's National Assembly in Nairobi on Thursday, Nov. 5, would raise the country's legal drinking age from 18 to 21, Kenyans.co.ke reported.
See where this is ›The Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs Control Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, would also bar bars and liquor stores from opening within 300 meters of a school or other place of learning, and licensed premises could not let in anyone under 21.
National Assembly Majority Leader Kimani Ichung'wah spoke for raising the age in the House. “Many of our children at 18 years are still very young,” he said, according to the report.
The bill would ban selling alcohol online, by courier or home delivery, by street hawking and through vending machines. It would put a levy of 2 Kenyan shillings on every liter of alcoholic drink made in or brought into Kenya, with the money going to alcohol control and the fight against drug abuse.
Half of the yearly levy would go to a new National Alcoholic Drinks Control Committee, which would oversee the law and license makers and importers. At least 15% would go to civil society groups that run anti-drug programs. Breaking the law could bring fines of up to 10 million shillings, up to five years in prison, or both.
Not every lawmaker was satisfied. Dadaab MP Farah Maalim asked in the House, “why didn't you include Miraa and Muguka in this Bill?” Miraa and muguka are leaves chewed as a stimulant in Kenya and the region.
What we don't know yet: The report did not name the bill's sponsor, and no date has been set for the next debate. A first reading is the start of the process; the bill must still pass later readings in Parliament before it could become law.
