Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Kenya, have urged the government to consider imposing of more punitive taxes on alcohol to deter consumption.
In a joint press statement, CSO’s representatives decried the alarming rate of alcohol consumption in Kenya citing the 2022 National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) report which revealed that 3.2 million Kenyans consume alcohol.
“If alcoholic tax is increased, we would see excise rates on beer, wines, and spirits rise significantly. For example, beer would see an increase of Sh56.98 per litre, bringing the new excise rate to Sh199.42 per litre,” the CSO’s said adding that, “Similar hikes are recommended for wines and spirits, setting new rates at Sh340.80 and Sh498.99 per litre, respectively.”
They added that “Alcohol taxation and pricing policies are among the most effective and cost-effective alcohol control measures. An increase in excise taxes on alcoholic beverages is a proven measure to reduce harmful use of alcohol, and it provides governments revenue to offset the economic costs of harmful use of alcohol”.
The CSOs including Students Campaign Against Drugs (SCAD), BLUE CROSS KENYA, and the Renaissance Treatment and Rehabilitation Centre, have proposed several measures, with a primary focus on increasing excise taxes on alcoholic beverages.
The CSO’s are calling for a stronger legal and enforcement measures to tackle the unrestricted online marketing of alcohol.
“This marketing directly targets vulnerable children and youth, increasing their risk of early alcohol consumption and its devastating health consequences. As such, to protect young people, we specifically call for a total ban on online promotion and advertisement on social media platforms and internet-based applications.”
This move, aimed at reducing the consumption of alcohol and preventing the initiation of drinking among the youth, aligns with global best practices for public health safety.
The lobby group challenged the counties to earmark County Alcohol licensing fees for rehabilitation and treatment purposes unlike the current practice where county alcohol licensing has been to generate revenue for county governments,
“We recommend that the levies collected from licencing be directed to alcohol control-related programs on prevention, rehabilitation, public education and awareness creation to enhance public health. County governments should join in the commitment of the National Government on mitigating the pangs of alcohol consumption which is destroying real lives, real people, real families and real communities.”
