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How KEBS plans to regulate chang’aa with new safety guidelines

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Kenya could soon see a major shift in how one of its most controversial traditional drinks is handled, as the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) moves to regulate chang’aa through new safety guidelines aimed at protecting consumers and reducing alcohol-related deaths.

For decades, chang’aa has existed on the fringes of the economy, widely consumed but officially illegal, often blamed for fatal poisonings and driven underground by periodic crackdowns.

Now, regulators are exploring a different approach: bringing the drink into the formal system instead of pushing it further into hiding.

Appearing before Parliament’s Public Petitions Committee, KEBS revealed it is reviewing new standards that would allow traditional brews like chang’aa to be produced and sold within a controlled and regulated framework.

The move could ultimately pave the way for the drink’s commercialisation, placing it alongside other licensed alcoholic beverages on the market.

According to KEBS Quality Assurance Officer John Kabue, the proposed guidelines will introduce strict requirements covering safety, composition, labelling, and overall quality. A key focus is on eliminating harmful substances such as methanol, which has been linked to repeated cases of poisoning and deaths across the country.

“So, on regulation of traditional and informal alcohol categories, of particular relevance to the petition is the chaos on traditional spirit, that is, Chang’aa, which reflects a deliberate regulatory policy approach that seeks to bring traditionally consumed alcoholic products within a controlled safety framework, rather than excluding them from regulation altogether,” Kabue told the committee.

KEBS noted that while it already regulates licensed manufacturers and imported alcoholic products, illicit brews remain largely outside its reach, operating as a criminal and enforcement issue rather than a standards one. By introducing formal guidelines, the agency hopes to close that gap and bring order to a sector long associated with risk.

Tightening the noose on local dens

Currently, all certified alcoholic drinks in Kenya must carry the KEBS Standardisation Mark, while imported products undergo inspection at entry points or certification abroad under the Pre-Export Verification of Conformity programme.

The bureau has approved 340 locally manufactured alcoholic beverage brands, warning that any product not listed in its register is uncertified and should not display its quality mark.

To empower consumers, KEBS is urging Kenyans to verify products using its SMS authentication system by sending permit numbers to shortcode 20023. This, officials say, will help weed out counterfeit and potentially dangerous drinks from the market.

However, regulation alone may not solve the problem. KEBS acknowledged ongoing challenges such as the smuggling of neutral spirits and illicit alcohol through informal border points.

The agency called for closer collaboration with the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya Defence Forces, and the Kenya Coast Guard Service to strengthen surveillance and enforcement.

The reforms also introduce a digital tracking system for ethanol consignments, to be implemented jointly with the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) and the Interior Ministry.

The system will monitor ethanol from import or production to final use, helping prevent diversion into illegal brewing.

Illicit alcohol remains a massive economic and public health challenge. The trade is estimated at Ksh204 billion annually, costing the government over Ksh71 billion in lost revenue. Recent reports indicate that illegal drinks now account for about 60 per cent of all alcohol consumed in Kenya.

NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa acknowledged that limited funding and lack of prosecutorial powers have weakened enforcement efforts, leaving the agency operating at just 40 per cent capacity.

At the same time, the Interior Ministry is pushing for tougher penalties to deter offenders.

“The current fines (Ksh7,500 for possession of illicit brew) are insufficient deterrents. The Ministry recommends the Committee propose legislative amendments to the Alcoholic Drinks Control Act to impose stiffer penalties, including custodial sentences for the possession of industrial ethanol without a permit,” the ministry said in its submission.

As Kenya grapples with rising consumption of unsafe alcohol, the proposed KEBS guidelines signal a shift in policy,from prohibition to regulation.

If implemented, they could transform chang’aa from a dangerous underground drink into a safer, controlled product, while restoring order to a chaotic sector and protecting thousands of lives-PeopleDaily.digital.

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National Assembly dismisses claims Sacco Bill is being rushed through Parliament

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The National Assembly has dismissed reports that the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being rushed through Parliament, saying the proposed law is still undergoing public participation.

Through infographics shared on Facebook on Tuesday, July 14, 2026, Parliament said misleading information had been circulating online about the Bill, formally known as the Sacco Societies (Amendment) Bill, National Assembly Bill No. 32 of 2025.

Bill was published in June 2025

The National Assembly said the Bill was published on June 30, 2025, and had remained under consideration for more than 12 months.

It rejected suggestions that lawmakers were fast-tracking the proposed amendments without allowing enough time for scrutiny.

According to Parliament, the lengthy period between the publication of the Bill and its current consideration shows that it is not being rushed.

Bill currently before the National Assembly committee

The Sacco Societies Amendment Bill is currently before the National Assembly’s Departmental Committee on Trade, Industry and Cooperatives.

The committee is conducting public participation and receiving views from members of the public and other stakeholders.

The submissions are expected to help the committee assess the proposed amendments before presenting its recommendations to the National Assembly.

What happens after public participation?

After the public participation process is concluded, the committee will prepare a report containing its findings and recommendations.

Parliament said the views submitted by members of the public and stakeholders could inform further amendments to the Bill.

The proposed legislation will then proceed to the National Assembly for consideration by MPs.

This means the Bill has not yet completed the legislative process and could still be amended based on the submissions received during public participation.

Bill will be forwarded to Senate

The National Assembly also clarified that the Bill will not proceed directly for presidential assent after being passed by MPs.

Because the proposed legislation concerns county governments, it will be forwarded to the Senate for consideration in accordance with the Constitution.

The Senate will be required to consider the Bill before it can complete the parliamentary process and be presented for presidential assent.

Parliament urged members of the public to rely on verified information about the Sacco Societies Amendment Bill instead of unconfirmed reports circulating online-PeopleDaily.Digital.

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Digital house-hunting platform bets on technology to reshape Nairobi’s rental market

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NAIROBI, Kenya, July 14 – A growing shift towards digital property searches is changing how Kenyans find rental homes, with real estate technology platform Reemio positioning itself as a solution to longstanding challenges.

This included fraudulent listings, costly house searches and limited market transparency.

As younger, tech-savvy consumers turn to online platforms to make purchasing decisions, the company says digitizing the rental process could improve efficiency for both tenants and landlords while lowering transaction costs.

“Our niche is to solve the problem of house hunting and also bring trust into that process. We use technology to connect renters and landlords,” said Kimani.

Kimani said the platform seeks to address inefficiencies that have traditionally made house hunting expensive and time-consuming.

Instead of physically visiting multiple properties, users can browse verified listings, take virtual tours, compare amenities and access information on additional costs such as water charges, electricity bills and service fees before scheduling physical viewings.

Beyond improving convenience for tenants, Reemio argues that technology can help landlords reduce marketing costs, shorten vacancy periods and reach a wider pool of prospective tenants, including Kenyans living abroad.

The company says its platform also generates market data that can help property owners and developers better understand evolving consumer preferences, although its long-term impact will depend on wider adoption of digital property platforms and continued investment in trustworthy online real estate marketplaces-Capitalfm.co.ke.

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ORPP edges two parties closer to joining Kenya’s political arena

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The Office of the Registrar of Political Parties (ORPP) has issued a notice for the provisional registration of two proposed political parties, opening a seven-day window for members of the public to lodge objections.

In a notice published by the Registrar of Political Parties and Chief Executive Officer J.C. Lorionokou, the ORPP announced that the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) and the People’s Alternative Voice (PAV) are in the process of being provisionally registered under Section 5(2)(a) of the Political Parties Act.

The ORPP, a State office established under Section 33 of the Political Parties Act and Article 260 of the Constitution, said its mandate includes registering and regulating political parties as well as administering the Political Parties Fund.

According to the notice, the Social Democratic Party of Kenya (SDP) has adopted pink, white and sky blue as its official party colours, with the slogan “Change – Mageuzi.” The party’s symbol is the acronym SDP enclosed inside a circle.

The party’s listed founder members are Nyangong’ Duncan Nyumbah, Omwandasi Jared Dishon and Kinyua Mary Wacuka.

The founders of PAV are listed as Odenyo John Fitzgerald Elly, Nyando Rachel Mmboga and Ali Hussein Kiplangat.

The Registrar said particulars of the two proposed political parties have been published on the ORPP website to facilitate public scrutiny as required by law.

Any person wishing to oppose the provisional registration of either party has seven days from the date of publication of the notice to submit objections either in writing or in person to the Office of the Registrar of Political Parties at Lion Place, Fourth Floor, Waiyaki Way at Karuna Close, Nairobi.

The provisional registration marks the first step in the legal process of establishing a political party in Kenya.

Kenya has 91 fully registered political parties. The ORPP’s updated register indicates that, as of January 2026, there were 91 parties that had met the legal requirements for full registration under the Political Parties Act-STAR.

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