Effect of using proximity to educational institutions in licensing alcohol outlets in Kenya

A case of Mukurweini Sub-County, Nyeri County

Abstract

County government of Nyeri licenses alcohol outlets using its domesticated Alcoholic Drinks Control Act of 2024. This law makes it mandatory for alcohol outlets to be located a minimum distance of 300 meters from educational institutions. This study evaluated the relative effect of this law on the number of applications to sell alcohol rejected by the Nyeri County Liquor Committee in 2025 in Mukurweini sub-County. A retrospective comparative study design was utilized. Mukurweini sub-County liquor licensing reports for 2019 and 2025 were analyzed for the number of applications rejected and reasons for the same. The 2025 report contained distances to an educational institution for rejected applications. Incidence rate ratio was determined, with the 2019 reports being classified as unexposed and the 2025 reports as exposed based on time of law enforcement. In 2019, 22 out of 208 applications (10.6%) were rejected compared to 94 out of 210 applications (44.8%) in 2025. The incidence rate ratio was 4.3 (95% CI 2.7-7.1, p= 0.00). The attributable fraction in the exposed group was 0.77. In 2019, the rejections were mainly due to violation of public health and food safety laws, while in 2025 they were due to violation of the 300 meters distance to an educational institution. In 2025, the mean number of alcohol outlets violating the 300 meters’ rule were 3 (95% CI 2.5-3.6) per educational institution and the mean distance was 146 meters (95% CI 129-162). Implementing the new law on proximity of alcohol outlets to educational institutions led to a four-fold increase in number of applications rejected. This led to a reduction in the density of alcohol outlets and by extension exposure of school-going population to alcohol and alcohol related advertising. This indicates that sub-national, distance-based alcohol control policies are both effective and enforceable