Africa-Press – Kenya. Chang’aa, one of Kenya’s most enduring under the counter alcoholic drinks could soon be regulated and soled openly.
For decades, the spirit has existed in the shadows of Kenya’s economy—branded illicit, listed as a killer brew and driven underground by enforcement crackdowns.
Kenya Bureau of Standards is considering bringing traditional local brews such as chang’aa under tighter regulatory control through new standards aimed at improving safety and reducing deaths linked to illicit alcohol.
KEBS is moving to develop official standards for the traditional spirit, a step that could pave the way for its full commercialisation and sale alongside other regulated alcoholic beverages.
Appearing before a parliaments Public Petitions Committee, KEBS said it is reviewing guidelines that would allow traditionally consumed alcoholic drinks to be produced within a controlled framework, rather than remaining outside formal regulation.
According to the KEBS Quality Assurance officer John Kabue, the proposed standards for chang’aa would set minimum safety, composition, labelling and quality requirements to curb harmful substances such as methanol, which has been linked to repeated cases of poisoning and fatalities.
KEBS told lawmakers that while it regulates licensed manufacturers and imported alcoholic beverages, the spread of illicit brews remains largely a criminality and enforcement challenge operating outside the formal standards system.
“So, on regulation of traditional and informal alcohol categories, of particular relevance to the petition is the chaos on traditional spirit, that is, Chang’aa, which reflects a deliberate regulatory policy approach that seeks to bring traditionally consumed alcoholic products within a controlled safety framework, rather than excluding them from regulation altogether,” Kabue told the committee.
The agency said all certified alcoholic drinks sold locally must carry its Standardisation Mark, while imported products are inspected at entry points or certified abroad under the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme before entering Kenya.
KEBS also disclosed that it has approved 340 locally manufactured alcoholic beverage brands, warning that any product not appearing in its approved register is not certified and should not bear its quality mark.
To strengthen consumer protection, the bureau urged Kenyans to verify products through its SMS authentication system by sending permit numbers to shortcode 20023.
On border control, KEBS acknowledged persistent smuggling of neutral spirits and illicit alcohol through informal crossings, and called for stronger surveillance involving Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Defence Forces and the Kenya Coast Guard Service.
The regulator said it will also expand market surveillance, random product sampling, laboratory testing and public awareness campaigns to combat counterfeit and adulterated alcohol.
Under the proposed reforms, KEBS jointly with NACADA and ministry of interior will now ensure mandatory adoption of a digital tracking system for all ethanol consignments from the point of import or manufacture to the final licensed user, to prevent diversion into illicit brewing.
The interior ministry is further proposing stiffer penalties for those found in possession of illicit alcohol.
“The current fines (Sh7,500 for possession of illicit brew) are insufficient deterrents. The Ministry recommends the Committee propose legislative amendments to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act to impose stiffer penalties, including custodial sentences for the possession of industrial ethanol without a permit,” the ministry said in its written submission to the committee.
Kenya has been battling illicit alcohol with latest industry report pointing out that Kenyans are consuming more illegal alcohol than ever before, with illicit drinks now accounting for 60 per cent of all alcohol sold in the country.
Illicit alcohol trade in Kenya is estimated at Sh204billion and is costing the government over Sh71 billion in revenue annually.
NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa acknowledged that persistent underfunding and lack of prosecutorial powers has seen the authority only operate at 40 per cent of its capability further straining the fight against drug abuse.
