By Job Okoth
Illicit alcohol -drinks that are made, sold, or smuggled outside the law- is fueling a growing public health crisis in Kenya, with new findings showing that Kenyans now drink more unsafe brews than legal ones despite the risks of poisoning, disability, and even death.
According to a recent study by Euromonitor International, commissioned by the Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK), Kenyans consumed 3.6 litres of pure illicit alcohol per adult in 2024, compared to 2.5 litres of legal alcohol.
The report defines illicit alcohol as beverages that escape regulation and taxes, including traditional homebrews, counterfeit spirits disguised as well-known brands, and drinks smuggled into the country without safety checks.
The findings reveal a troubling contradiction. While many Kenyans understand that these drinks are dangerous, they continue consuming them because they are significantly cheaper and easier to access than legal products.
Survey results show that 61 percent of consumers fear serious harm from drinking illicit alcohol, with some associating it with blindness, organ failure, or death. However, 94 percent of respondents acknowledged that illicit alcohol is much cheaper, with some types costing less than half the price of legitimate beverages.
Traditional homebrews such as Chang’aa, Busaa, and Muratina dominate the market because of their low prices and cultural acceptance. Chang’aa is a distilled spirit often brewed in rural homesteads, while Busaa is a traditional beer made from fermented maize and millet.
Muratina, a drink popular among the Kikuyu community, is brewed from fermented sugarcane or honey using the fruit of the wild sausage tree. In many areas, a cup of Muratina sells for as little as KES20, making it more affordable than bottled water or bread. These prices attract low-income consumers and youth who cannot afford more expensive legal spirits.
“Despite being aware of the potential health risks, consumers prioritise lower costs and convenience over the long-term consequences,” one respondent told researchers during the survey.
According to the report, the greatest health risks come from counterfeit and smuggled spirits, which are often laced with industrial ethanol or other toxic substances not meant for human consumption. These drinks are sold in urban slums, rural markets, and even disguised in bars.
Manufacturers say the problem is also driven by corruption and loopholes in regulation. “Illicit alcohol is sourced from tax leakage via factories conspiring with revenue authority officials. Products are mixed with legal offerings,” said a local alcohol manufacturer in a trade interview. These findings suggest that some of the dangerous drinks on the market may originate from legitimate factories before being diverted into illegal distribution channels.
According to trade sources interviewed for the report, weak enforcement and corruption are also to blame. “Bribery and corruption play a major role, particularly for unlicensed distribution of alcohol,” they noted, adding that “the current penalties related to counterfeiting and excise duty crimes are not viewed as a deterrent.” In other words, even when law enforcement agencies catch illegal traders, the punishments are too small to discourage the business, which continues to thrive.
The health risks associated with these drinks are severe. Some consumers have reported cases of blindness, kidney damage, and sudden death linked to illicit alcohol poisoning. Since many of these beverages are produced without any safety standards, the alcohol content can be extremely high or contaminated with dangerous chemicals. In low-income communities where access to healthcare is already limited, these effects can devastate families, leaving breadwinners disabled or causing preventable deaths.
The Euromonitor study highlights that artisanal brews account for 67 percent of all illicit alcohol consumed in Kenya, while counterfeit and smuggled spirits make up the rest. Despite periodic government crackdowns, these drinks remain widely available in both rural and urban areas. In March 2024, the government suspended licences for all alcohol manufacturers in a bid to curb the crisis, but the report notes this backfired, fuelling more tax leakage and creating space for parallel distilleries to flourish.
The social acceptance of illicit alcohol also makes the crisis difficult to address. In many communities, homebrews are not just cheap alternatives but part of cultural and social life. Friends gather to share Busaa after work, and traditional ceremonies often include Muratina. This cultural acceptance reduces the stigma associated with illicit drinking, making it harder for public health campaigns to shift behaviour.
To combat the health crisis, the report recommends scaling up public awareness campaigns, especially through social media platforms where young people spend most of their time. Campaigns should focus on communicating the direct health risks, from poisoning to long-term organ damage, using simple, relatable language. At the same time, the government is urged to tighten ethanol regulations by making denaturing mandatory, harmonising regional taxes to reduce smuggling incentives, and strengthening border controls.
The study also calls for improved county-level enforcement. Many illicit drinks are produced and sold at local levels where monitoring is weak. By working closely with county governments and community leaders, authorities can dismantle small-scale distribution networks and educate residents about the dangers of unsafe brews.
Without stronger interventions, experts warn that illicit alcohol will continue to outpace the legal market, putting millions of Kenyans at risk. The report concludes that addressing this issue requires a combination of stricter regulation, targeted awareness campaigns, and community-level enforcement to protect lives and reduce the burden of alcohol-related harm on the healthcare system.
