EABL voices concerns over proposed NACADA alcohol policy

NAIROBI, Kenya, Aug 1 – East African Breweries Limited (EABL) has called for a balanced approach to alcohol regulation, warning that proposed policy changes by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) could unintentionally harm the formal alcohol industry and broader economy.

Its CEO, Jane Karuku, speaking in response to NACADA’s National Policy for the Prevention, Management, and Control of Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse (2025), said the proposals remain speculative and require deeper engagement.

“First of all, that is mere speculation and I don’t have facts and I can’t comment on speculation,” she said.

“At this point, as far as we are concerned, they are guidelines. They will go through the normal hoops of conversations, from public participation and within Parliament.”

The new proposals recommend sweeping restrictions, including a ban on alcohol advertising, online sales, home deliveries, and celebrity endorsements.

The policy also proposes raising the legal age for purchasing, selling, and consuming alcohol from 18 to 21 years and banning alcohol branding in sports and lifestyle marketing that glamorises drinking.

Karuku defended the role of the formal alcohol sector in the economy, warning that overregulation risks driving more consumers toward the unregulated and illicit market, which she said already comprises 60% of alcohol consumption in Kenya.

She noted EABL’s extensive economic footprint, including its partnerships with over 60,000 farmers and a distribution network spanning 250,000 outlets across East Africa.

Karuku acknowledged the importance of tackling harmful consumption but emphasised the need for a fact-based, consultative process.

Karuku’s sentiments join a list of organisations that continue to express dissatisfaction with the proposed NACADA policies.

Earlier, the Retail Trade Association of Kenya (RETRAK) voiced concerns over its exclusion from the development of the newly launched National Policy on Alcohol, Drugs, and Substance Abuse (2025), calling for a more transparent and inclusive approach to the policy process.

RETRAK, in a statement, asserted that it was neither consulted nor invited to contribute to the formulation of the policy, which was unveiled earlier by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen in Nairobi.