‘Kenya’s problem is poisonous alcohol,’ Senator Maanzo says NACADA proposals misguided

Makueni Senator Dan Maanzo has criticized the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) over its latest proposals to tighten alcohol regulation in Kenya, warning that the approach could backfire economically and socially.

In an interview on Citizen TV’s Daybreak program on Thursday, Maanzo argued that the government's focus should shift from limiting access and marketing to ensuring the quality and safety of alcoholic products on the market.

“The government should be concentrating on the quality of alcohol,” Maanzo said. “Alcohol is taken all over the world and is very much controlled, and of more importance is societal self-control.”

The Senator expressed concern that many Kenyans are consuming dangerous, unregulated brews, which he described as the biggest threat to public health, rather than the mere act of alcohol consumption.

“The most important thing, the biggest problem in Kenya is poisonous alcohol,” he said. “We have seen alcohol that makes people lose their eyes… That’s what the government should first be dealing with — eliminating all the manufacturing of poisonous alcohol.”

Maanzo took issue with NACADA's sweeping proposals, including the ban on online alcohol sales and restrictions on the use of celebrities in alcohol advertising, criticizing what he termed as a lack of public participation and consultation with industry stakeholders.

“You cannot make this sort of thing without consulting the industry,” Maanzo said. “You must first consult the industries, do sufficient public participation, and Kenyans will come up with a way of making sure that the businessman is safe, the quality of alcohol is good, and the age limits are applied accordingly.”

He warned that the proposed restrictions could lead to massive job losses, particularly among the youth, and may fuel further public unrest in the wake of deadly anti-government demonstrations witnessed across the country over the past two years.

“So many people are hired by these companies; if 1.3 million people lose their jobs, I think the demonstrations will be more on the streets,” he warned, referencing the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurant Association of Kenya’s estimate of the jobs in the alcohol value chain that are at stake.

“You are keeping as many young people as possible exposed.”

In Maanzo’s view, there needs to be a balance between public health priorities and economic realities by the government.

“Make laws that make sure that the society is safe… but not to destroy businesses, yet you want to collect taxes and build a nation,” Maanzo said.

NACADA’s proposals, released on Wednesday, are part of a broader national policy on combating drug and substance abuse.

They have stirred widespread debate, with supporters citing the rise in alcohol-related harm, and critics warning of dire economic consequences.

Among other things, NACADA wants the government to ban online sale of alcohol, alcohol discount promotions, and the use of social media influencers, celebrities, and sports personalities in alcohol advertising.

It wants the legal age for purchasing, selling, or consuming alcohol raised from 18 to 21 years, and drinking prohibited in restaurants, hotels, public transport, parks, and other public spaces.

According to NACADA, the next steps include gathering stakeholders from government, civil society, the private sector, and the public to deliberate on the proposals for review before they become law.