The High Court has temporarily restricted the online sale, advertising and distribution of alcoholic drinks in Nairobi, pending compliance with licensing requirements and measures designed to prevent minors from accessing alcohol.
The orders, issued on November 9, 2026, at the Milimani Law Courts, affect e-commerce platforms and other digital marketplaces involved in listing, promoting, selling, ordering, supplying and delivering alcoholic drinks.
Under the interim orders, online alcohol transactions cannot proceed unless the platforms involved meet the licensing, age-verification and consumer protection requirements prescribed by law.
The court directed digital platforms facilitating alcohol sales to obtain the necessary licences and authorisations before offering the services to customers.
It also ordered that alcohol purchasing facilities be placed in designated sections of digital platforms with restricted access. Users must undergo secure authentication before they can access the services.
The restrictions introduce several checks aimed at ensuring that alcoholic drinks are not sold or delivered to people below the age of 18.
Platforms must establish that users are adults before allowing them to access alcohol purchasing services. Their ages must also be verified again before a transaction is completed.
A further verification is required when the drinks are handed over to the intended recipient, adding another layer of protection against underage purchases.
The court also prohibited digital advertisements, hyperlinks and other promotional features that could allow customers to bypass the authentication and age-verification measures.
In addition, online marketing and promotion of alcoholic drinks through interactive advertisements and links directing users to transaction-enabled listings have been restricted unless the prescribed safeguards are in place.
The orders followed an application filed by David Biketi Wati against the Nairobi City County Government, the Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Board and another respondent.
The court certified the matter as urgent and granted prayers two and three of the application on an interim basis as it awaits the hearing and determination of the case.
The petitioner was directed to serve the orders on the respondents and interested parties within two days.
The respondents were subsequently given seven days from the date of service to file and serve their responses to the application.
The matter is scheduled to return to court on November 18, 2026, when the parties are expected to confirm compliance and receive further directions.
The restrictions place online alcohol retailers and delivery services under tighter scrutiny as the court considers whether digital platforms are operating within the existing licensing framework and providing sufficient protection against access by minors.
