Why Alcoholic Drinks Control Act is welcome

The Alcoholic Drinks Control Act 2010 has finally received Presidential assent and become law.

The Act is an unprecedented piece of legislation that will certainly resonate in all spheres of Kenyans’ public and private life.

This is because every Kenyan is in one way or the other affected by alcoholic drinks.

In fact, the Act stipulates the interaction between alcoholic drinks and their producers, distributors, marketers, retailers, consumers and their significant others.

The overriding theme throughout the Act is the desire to minimise the harm occasioned to individual Kenyans in the course of their interaction with alcohol.

The Act has come at a very opportune time – the dawn of a new era with the coming into effect of the new Constitution.

This has provided opportunity to discard the negative view associated with the alcohol industry – as responsible for the harmful effects of alcohol consumption ranging from failing health to diminished productivity, social disharmony, HIV and STI infections, traffic accidents, and death.

For instance, between April and August 2010, more than 45 people lost their lives while many others were blinded following consumption of adulterated alcohol in various parts of the country.

Public education

Provisions in the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act 2010 cover production, manufacture, sale, promotion and consumption of alcoholic drinks.

This Act comes into effect in less than 3 months. The specific date will soon be announced by the Minister of State for Provincial Administration and Internal Security.

Under Section 8 of the Act dealing with licensing, this essentially means that all alcoholic products in the market will become illegal unless they have been cleared by the Government.

All manufacturers and importers will be required to submit samples of each brand with related files.

This provides an opportunity for manufacturers, importers and distributors of alcoholic drinks to redeem the image of their brands by submitting them for testing and certification as suitable for human consumption.

Those brands that shall not have been tested and certified as such shall be deemed unsuitable and will forthwith be declared illegal products.