Poison in the bottle: Killer alcohol floods market as rogue traders mint billions
Kenya's illicit alcohol market, valued at Sh203 billion, is thriving with counterfeit and dangerous spirits, leading to widespread addiction, illness, and fatalities, particularly among vulnerable populations. This shadow economy accounts for 60% of the country's alcohol market by volume, causing significant tax revenue losses and unfair competition for legitimate businesses.
Why it matters
The proliferation of illicit alcohol in Kenya represents a severe public health crisis and a major economic challenge, underscoring regulatory failures and the devastating impact on both individuals and the national economy.
Suspected illicit and counterfeit alcohol seized during a past raid /FILE It is barely 6 am on “Pewa Street” in Nairobi’s Umoja estate, a street famous for having more than 200 wines and spirits outlets and dingy bars in a stretch of 300 metres, but the alley is already alive with a desperate queue.
Young men, their eyes bloodshot and shoulders hunched against the morning chill, line up outside a cramped liquor store waiting for their first drink of the day.
Peter*, 28, stands near the front. His hands shake until he receives a Sh20 tot of clear spirit poured into a flimsy plastic tumbler. He downs it in one gulp.
“I cannot function without this,” he mumbles. “I earn about Sh300 a day carrying luggage at Umoja Market. We cannot afford drinks in the bar, so we come here for what we can afford.”
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