There comes a point where incompetence stops being amusing and becomes outright dangerous. NACADA has reached that point…and crashed straight through it.
With its sweeping policy banning the sale of alcohol at sports venues, prohibiting alcohol brand sponsorship in sports, and now the audacious move to block alcohol sales in supermarkets, NACADA has exposed itself as a catastrophically clueless agency flailing in the dark.
NACADA’s actions aren’t regulations…they’re temper tantrums. Their actions aren’t about leadership..it’s lazy authoritarianism wrapped in moral panic.
Posturing Over Policy
What we are witnessing is the reckless overreach of an institution that has chosen:
- Spectacle over substance
- Posturing over policy
- Empty headlines over meaningful action
Let’s start with sports..something that NACADA clearly failed to consider.
For decades, alcohol brands have been among key backers of Kenyan sports…the same sports that state operatives use as a tool for political expediency. When government support disappears, when federations are broke, and when athletes are left to hustle on fumes, it’s the alcohol brands who are among those stepping in to lend a helping out.
They pay for:
- Tournaments
- Kits and uniforms
- Travel and training
- Publicity and even administrative support.
They are not optional—they are essential.
Sabotaging What Works
NACADA’s response?
- Kill the sponsorship lifeline
- Ban the beer
- Cancel brand partnerships
- Strip sports of one of its last working revenue streams
All this without alternatives, without a funding plan, and with zero strategic replacement.
This is not regulation. This is intellectual cowardice.
Supermarket Crackdown: A New Low
As if that wasn’t enough, NACADA now wants to target alcohol sales in supermarkets—licensed, tax-compliant retailers selling a legal product to adult consumers under existing laws.
Somehow, even that is now considered a public threat.
Let’s be clear: this isn’t about controlling harm—it’s about controlling headlines.
A Legal Product, A Cultural Fixture
Alcohol is legal in Kenya. It’s part of:
- The economy
- The culture
- The sports ecosystem
It funds jobs, supports manufacturers, empowers distributors, and contributes billions in taxes. It is a regulated product, not a banned substance.
Silent When It Counts, Loud When It Doesn’t
Where is NACADA when alcohol brands are:
- Funding community infrastructure?
- Supporting talent identification and development programs?
- Running responsible drinking campaigns?
- Playing their part in keeping entire federations afloat?
Nowhere.
But the moment there’s:
- A beer logo on a jersey
- A cold one sold at a rugby or football match
They crawl out of the woodwork, self-righteous, and completely oblivious to nuance.
Why? Because harassing a vendor or bullying a struggling club is easier than engaging with complex realities. It requires no courage, no policy depth, and certainly no foresight.
The Hallmark of Intellectual Laziness
Rather than:
- Enforce existing laws
- Promote education and moderation
- Build sponsorship frameworks
NACADA prefers the blunt force of sweeping bans. It’s easier to burn the house down than fix the wiring.
Let’s not pretend this is about public health—it’s about optics.
Because:
Sponsorship is not intoxication. Branding is not binge drinking. A logo doesn’t pour beer down anyone’s throat.
Adults make choices. NACADA’s job is to guide, not criminalize those choices.
The Real Cost of NACADA’s Crusade
What NACADA has done isn’t bold, or visionary. It’s reactionary, destructive, and dangerously out of touch with Kenya’s economic and social realities.
This Isn’t Policy. It’s a Tantrum.
This is not policy—it’s a tantrum masquerading as governance.
NACADA has declared war on common sense, and in doing so, exposed itself as an institution more obsessed with optics than outcomes.
Instead of fixing cracks in the system, they’re smashing the foundation with a sledgehammer of self-righteous ignorance.
If this is the best they can offer, then it’s not just alcohol policy that needs reform—it’s NACADA itself.
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