The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) clarified that its new alcohol policy, launched by Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen, contains recommendations, not immediate bans, on issues like alcohol advertising and online sales.

• The policy proposes raising the minimum legal alcohol age to 21 years.
• NACADA emphasized that any proposals requiring legal backing will undergo a transparent and inclusive review process with public participation.
• The policy seeks to prohibit alcohol branding in sports and restrict celebrity and influencer endorsements of alcoholic products.

The Kenyan government has approved the duty-free import of 500,000 tonnes of Grade 1 white milled rice until December 31, 2025, to address a rice shortage. This decision, announced in a gazette notice on Tuesday, July 29, aims to ease pressure on the local market and aligns with the East African Community Customs Management Act of 2004.

• 500,000 tonnes of Grade 1 white milled rice will be imported duty-free.
• The import period extends until December 31, 2025.
• The directive was issued by the Cabinet Secretary for the National Treasury and Economic Planning upon recommendation from the Cabinet Secretary for Agriculture and Livestock Development.
• This move contrasts with earlier plans to cut rice imports by 50 percent to support local farmers.
• Kenya's monthly rice demand is 100,000 tonnes, but domestic production for 2024/2025 was only 191,000 tonnes.

The Kenyan government has clarified that proposed restrictions on alcohol sales, including in supermarkets and restaurants, are currently just proposals from a draft policy, not enacted regulations. The Ministry of Interior assured the public that these proposals will undergo extensive public participation before being presented to Parliament.

• Key proposals include banning alcohol sales in supermarkets, residential premises, restaurants, online, and home deliveries.
• The legal drinking age might be raised from 18 to 21 years.
• The proposals, from the draft National Policy for the Prevention, Management and Control of Alcohol, Drugs and Substance Abuse 2025, aim to curb high alcohol consumption and counterfeit alcohol, according to an official.
• This clarification comes amid public backlash due to misinterpretations of the proposals as immediate regulations, with concerns raised about their economic impact on businesses.