Kenya To Ban Sale Of Alcohol Near Schools, Raise Drinking Age to 21

Kenya’s National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) is taking steps to ban the sale of alcohol near schools. The Authority is also expected to raise alcohol drinking age from 18 to 21.

The move is in line with Kenya’s National Policy on the Prevention of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Use (2025) which proposes stringent measures that the Authority believes will control the alcohol consumption menace across Kenya, particularly among young people.

Not only is NACADA seeking to ban sale of alcohol near schools, but it is also looking at banning the sale of alcohol near
places of worship.

Furthermore, the Author is seeking instill a zero tolerance for irresponsible alcohol/drug promotion.
Likewise, the policy aims to restrict the sale of alcohol to under-21s while also enhancing protection for those who seek to abstain from alcohol and drugs.

The Cabinet okayed the policy on June 24, as the government allowed the Authority to enforce the new rules.

NACADA will also be creating special safeguards for PWDs and the vulnerable.

In February 2025, NACADA launched the Status of Drugs and Substance Use Among University Students in Kenya revealed that alcohol continues to be the most commonly used substance among university students.

The data reported that 87.3 per cent of students consume alcohol, followed by cigarettes at 64.4 per cent, and shisha at 41.2 per cent.

The study surveyed 15,678 undergraduate students from both public and private universities in Kenya.

It also showed that 66.4 per cent of respondents said they get drugs or substances from their friends, while 59.3 per cent said they source them from neighbourhood canteens and bars.

The Authority has been engaging communities and collaborating with faith-based organizations to help sensitize citizens against the use of substances.

Source: Africa Publicity