Kenya plans to license traditional brews such as busaa and muratina, provided they meet Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) requirements, Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced on Wednesday, October 21, 2026. He made the announcement alongside a package of tougher proposals aimed at the people behind illicit ethanol and chemical-laced drinks, including a law to seize their assets.
Kindiki spoke at a security meeting in Karen, Nairobi. No bill name, licence fee or start date has been published yet.
By the 254.ke Newsroom.
What did Kindiki announce on traditional brews?
Traditional alcoholic drinks that meet KEBS standards “will be formalised and licensed”, Kindiki said, according to reports by Kenyans.co.ke and KBC. Producers would have to meet applicable safety and quality standards to qualify. Kenyans.co.ke named muratina, popular among the Kikuyu, and busaa, brewed across Nyanza and Western Kenya, as examples of the drinks affected.
The idea is to move small-scale brewers of drinks with long cultural roots into a regulated system, rather than treating all unlicensed alcohol the same way. Kindiki said the government is “not fighting against businesses or the industry”, Kenyans.co.ke reported, but protecting the country from what he described as collapse.
Key points at a glance
| Item | What was announced |
|---|---|
| Traditional brews | To be formalised and licensed if they meet KEBS requirements |
| New legislation | Legislative proposals “finalised” to tighten controls on manufacturers, distributors and enablers of ethanol and drug cartels |
| Asset seizure | Forfeiture and confiscation law “being finalised”; proceeds expected to fund addiction rehabilitation |
| Recent raids | Nine raids on illicit ethanol and 116 other raids on illicit brews in the last 10 days |
| Coordination | Permanent multi-agency mechanism set up at Harambee House Annex |
| Community role | Framework for engaging communities due to be released “next week” |
What is the planned asset-seizure law?
Kindiki said the government has finalised legislative proposals to “tighten” enforcement against manufacturers, distributors and enablers of ethanol and drug cartels that supply dangerous alcoholic drinks. A separate law on forfeiture, asset seizure and confiscation of funds linked to the illicit alcohol and drug trade is still being finalised, KBC reported.
The stated aim is to dismantle cartel networks by cutting off their money. Proceeds from seized assets and funds are expected to support the rehabilitation of people struggling with addiction.
Who attended and who will enforce it?
KBC reported that the meeting included the Inspector General of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, representatives of the Council of Governors, principal secretaries and heads of agencies. The Kenya Times, which also covered the briefing, listed the National Police Service, KEBS, the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA), the Anti-Counterfeit Authority, the National Intelligence Service, the DCI, the EACC and the Kenya Revenue Authority among the agencies involved. Its report also said NACADA chief executive Dr Anthony Omerikwa spoke on pursuing the seizure of assets linked to illicit alcohol financing and distribution.
The crackdown has been running for weeks. NACADA has been active in several counties on drugs and substance abuse; see our earlier reports on NACADA operations in Homa Bay and Kisii and its action on the illegal shisha trade.
What is still unclear?
- Timeline: none of the reports gives a date for tabling the legislation in Parliament.
- Licence details: fees, application process and which agency will issue licences have not been stated.
- Legal safeguards: how asset seizure would be tied to a court process has not been explained.
- Penalties: the reports reviewed did not specify penalty levels in the new proposals.
Frequently asked questions
Will busaa and muratina become legal to sell in Kenya?
The government says traditional brews that meet KEBS requirements will be formalised and licensed. Brews that do not meet the standards would stay outside the licensing system.
Who is behind the announcement?
Deputy President Kithure Kindiki announced it at a meeting with security agencies and other officials in Karen, Nairobi, on October 21, 2026.
What happens to money seized from illicit alcohol cartels?
Under the proposed forfeiture law, proceeds are expected to support the rehabilitation of people struggling with addiction, according to KBC.
When will the new law take effect?
No date has been given. The legislation is described as finalised or being finalised, and has not yet been tabled in Parliament in the reports reviewed.
For official guidance on alcohol and drug control in Kenya, see NACADA. Information in this report is as of October 21, 2026 and will be updated as the proposals move forward.
