INDUSTRY REGULATION

Counterfeit and illicit alcoholic drinks a rising concern in Kenya

By our African Marketing Confederation News Team | 2025

Photo: Wikimedia Commons

New survey finds consumption of unregulated drinks and counterfeit alcohol brands has now outpaced consumption of legal products.

The sale of counterfeit and illicit alcoholic beverages in Kenya is now outpacing that of legal products, the country’s government and Alcoholic Beverages Association has warned.

This comes after a new report conducted by Euromonitor International, and commissioned by the association, indicates that consumption of unregulated alcohol has risen by 27% since 2022.

The underground market now accounts for approximately 60% of all alcohol sold in the country, a figure than encompasses counterfeit products which mimic well-known brands, as well as illicit ‘home brew’ drinks.

According to a news report published in The Standard newspaper, “illicit spirits, including counterfeits of Gilbey’s, Chrome, and other well-known brands, are often priced 10% to 40% lower than their legitimate counterparts”.

Call for tax reforms on legal alcohol
The Alcoholic Beverage Association of Kenya is calling for tax reforms on legal alcohol and tighter regulations around the sale of ethanol, which is used to make illicit alcohol. High taxes are one of the reasons given for people increasingly turning to underground products.

“While traditional brews like chang’aa and busaa dominate by volume, the bulk of lost value comes from commercial-scale operations involving fake spirits and contraband labels,” reports the news outlet Citizen Digital.

In a statement to media, Eric Githua, Chairperson of the Alcoholic Beverage Association of Kenya, says: “[Illicit alcohol products] make this country unable to attract further investments because of the level of illicits that we have. Illicits also reduce the revenues for our great republic because, as you can appreciate, the alcohol industry is a significant player in our country.”

The increase in alcohol consumption has also raised health concerns. “The rise, we all know, has negatively impacted on our nation, resulting in health challenges as well as deaths and this has affected a very critical population of our nation – the youth,” “Beverly Opora, Secretary of Administration at the Ministry of Interior, is quoted as saying by Citizen Digital.

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