Is chang'aa legal now?
Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2010 and county alcoholic drinks laws · sources read 5 Oct 2026
Chang'aa is legal only with a licence. It must meet set standards and be sold in glass, PET or metal containers of at least 250 ml, labelled with its contents and health warnings; making or selling it without a licence is an offence. Licences now come from your county.
- Where
- Your county government's alcoholic drinks (liquor licensing) office or committee
Steps
- Apply to your county government for a licence. Liquor licensing is a county job, and each county has its own alcoholic drinks law.
- Expect county checks. In Kiambu, for example, traditional liquor needs a licence from the public health department, approved premises and a process that meets Kenya Bureau of Standards rules.
- Pack and sell chang'aa only in glass or PET bottles or metal containers of at least 250 ml.
- Label every package with its contents and at least two of the official health warnings, in English or Kiswahili.
Watch out
- Selling without a licence can lead to a fine of up to KSh 50,000, up to 9 months in jail, or both for a first offence, and the court may seize all your drinks and containers.
- Chang'aa that does not meet the required standards is an offence, with a fine of up to KSh 2 million, up to 5 years in jail, or both.
- County rules differ. Kiambu bans brewing traditional liquor in a home or residential area, but lets small-scale brewers apply for a temporary licence for a traditional ceremony.
- Since the Finance Act 2023, selling or making alcoholic drinks at a price below the minimum input cost is also an offence.
Who this covers
- Anyone who makes, sells, imports or exports any alcoholic drink, including chang'aa and other traditional brews.
Official sources (3)
- Alcoholic Drinks Control Act (Cap. 121, No. 4 of 2010), version of 1 July 2023 new.kenyalaw.org · read 5 Oct 2026
- Constitution of Kenya, 2010 new.kenyalaw.org · read 3 Oct 2026
- Kiambu County Alcoholic Drinks Control Act, 2024 (Kiambu County Acts No. 6 of 2024) kiambu.go.ke · read 3 Oct 2026