Inside Senate’s digital plan to crack down on illicit alcohol in Kenya

The Senate is considering implementing digital technology, product traceability, and electronic authentication systems to combat illicit alcohol in Kenya. During a meeting on September 10, 2026, the Senate Standing Committee on Information, Communication and Technology discussed these measures with Anti-Counterfeit Authority (ACA) Chief Executive Officer Dr. Robi M. King’a.

Illicit alcohol encompasses a wide range of issues, including smuggled, tax-leaked, substandard, adulterated, unlicensed artisanal, surrogate, and counterfeit products. Counterfeit alcohol, a part of the problem, involves the illegal use of genuine brands, labels, and packaging, as well as the refilling of genuine bottles with illicit alcohol.

According to the ACA, 77% of seized alcohol is locally manufactured, 15% is imported, and 8% has an unknown origin. However, the figures lack context as the methodology and cut-off date were not disclosed. The ACA plans to introduce a phased security device for high-risk products, including alcoholic beverages, which will feature a unique identifier linked to a secure ACA-controlled record.

Consumers and enforcement officers can then verify the product's authenticity, and the system can track product movements through the supply chain to identify suspicious activity.

The proposed system does not create a separate entity but aims to create an interoperable national system that consolidates information from various regulators. While simply adding a QR code to a bottle is insufficient, the ACA emphasizes the need for tamper-evident packaging, scan analytics, batch validation, anomaly detection, cybersecurity, physical inspections, and laboratory testing.

The Authority also noted that the existing Anti-Counterfeit Integrated Management System (AIMS) lacks comprehensive coverage of locally manufactured alcohol, including local bottling, contract manufacturing, refilling, packaging suppliers, and domestic distribution.

The ACA recommended legislative amendments to extend the security-device framework to locally manufactured goods and introduce additional safeguards against cloning, tampering, and reuse. The proposed reforms would follow a phased approach, beginning with the development of common definitions and data standards, legislative amendments, and the selection of products for the pilot phase. The system would be developed, tested, and subsequently expanded to additional products and government agencies.