ABAK Calls for Withdrawal of Alcohol Bill as Nairobi Court Halts Online Sales

The Alcoholic Beverages Association of Kenya (ABAK) has asked Parliament to pull the Alcoholic Drinks and Drugs Control Laws (Amendment) Bill, 2026, while a Nairobi High Court order on November 9, 2026 has temporarily banned online alcohol sales in the capital.

In a statement dated November 6, 2026, ABAK chair Kui Kinyanjui urged lawmakers to stop advancing the Bill in its present form and called for consultation with county authorities, public-health bodies and industry participants.

The Bill was presented for its First Reading in the National Assembly on November 5, 2026 and its proposed restrictions have not yet become law.

ABAK’s preliminary modelling predicts that raising the minimum drinking age from 18 to 21 could jeopardise roughly KSh3.3 billion of annual retail and hospitality revenue, KSh1.8 billion of tax receipts, 8,960 jobs and 1,792 licensed outlets.

The association also estimates that a levy of KSh2 per litre, payable by licensed manufacturers and importers into the Alcoholic Drinks Control Fund, would impose an additional KSh1.3 billion in yearly costs on the legitimate sector, equating to KSh1 on a 500 ml bottle.

Under the draft, county committees would be barred from issuing licences for online sales, courier deliveries, home delivery, supermarkets, restaurants and similar venues, and existing licence holders would have at most three months to clear stock before the provision takes effect.

ABAK argues that closing these channels could shift demand toward informal markets, and it objects to provisions that would prohibit online advertising while simultaneously creating a committee to approve such ads, as well as to national licensing, product registration and a transport window limited to 6 am-6 pm.

The Bill also proposes digital tracking of alcoholic drinks throughout the supply chain; the Anti-Counterfeit Authority highlighted on May 8, 2026 that online and social platforms are used to distribute counterfeit alcohol and warned on September 11, 2026 that QR codes alone cannot guarantee product safety.

Justice David Mburu, sitting at the Milimani Law Courts, issued interim orders that bar the listing, sale and purchase of alcohol on online platforms in Nairobi City County unless the platforms hold valid operating licences and implement strict age-verification measures.

“Access to that section is conditional upon secure customer authentication through a password, personal identification number or equivalent mechanism, together with reliable verification that the customer is aged eighteen (18) years or above, both requirements being completed before access is permitted,” the judge ruled.

The court action follows an urgent application filed by David Biketi Wati against the Nairobi City County Government, the County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Board and other parties; the petitioner was directed to serve the orders within two days, while respondents have seven days to reply, and the matter will be revisited on November 18, 2026.

The suspension comes as Nairobi County pushes forward its own Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Bill, 2026, which aims to curb counterfeit and illicit liquor, underage drinking and irresponsible distribution.