It begins with a bargain bottle, a familiar label, or a drink poured at a trusted joint. Then comes the bitter taste, a burning throat, vomiting, a debilitating hangover or worse.

Across Kenya, drinkers are describing encounters with alcohol they believe was counterfeit or adulterated. Some ended up in hospital, others fearful of another sip, while others have had to shift their choices altogether. The stories are emerging from far and wide, some going viral on social media, as the authorities play catch-up.

Just this week, multi-agency teams seized hundreds of suspected counterfeit and illicit drinks in Nairobi’s Eastleigh and Jericho estates alongside suspected fake excise stamps, empty bottles and bottle tops. The products were taken for analysis and suspects were arrested. The Eastleigh operation recovered 868 assorted drinks, while in Jericho, 315 were found.

A 2025 consumer survey report by the Anti-Counterfeit Authority noted that the alcoholic drinks sector faces “significant counterfeiting challenges posing risks to both consumer safety and market integrity”.

“Wine is the most counterfeited product, accounting for 50.12 per cent of total instances, followed by beer at 47.44 per cent. Other notable beverages include whiskey (42.68 per cent) and vodka (36.95 percent), highlighting the prevalence of counterfeit alternatives that pose health hazards. Products like rum (32.44 percent) and tequila (28.41 percent) also show considerable counterfeiting rates,” said the report.

“While gin (23.05 per cent), brandy (19.27 per cent), and liqueurs (11.71 per cent) are less frequently counterfeited, the presence of craft spirits (11.22 per cent) reveals vulnerabilities within niche markets. These high rates of counterfeiting threaten not only consumer safety but also legitimate businesses, emphasising the need for stronger regulatory measures, heightened consumer awareness, and collaboration among stakeholders to combat counterfeiting in the alcoholic beverages market,” the authority added.

Personal accounts by people who have consumed suspected counterfeit liquor point to a growing danger. Below are recollections by four of them.

Read: Inside the mind of an alcoholic

John Kamau

Kiambu resident

“The alcohol was unbearably bitter. I had already paid for the bottle, so I made the mistake of finishing it rather than ‘wasting’ my money. I bought it at a bar on Munyu Road in downtown Nairobi, a place I had visited several times without incident. I had not been there for about three months. From the first sip, I knew it did not taste like the brand I knew. It burnt, and I had to dilute it with water and swallow it with a chaser.

The next morning brought severe migraines, an upset stomach and repeated vomiting. Anything I tried to eat came back up. My joints hurt, and my body felt weak. I had drunk on Friday, yet by Monday I still could not go to work. I went to the hospital and spent about Sh3,000 on medicine. I had never felt anything like it.

The effects did not end with the bill. My stomach has remained uncomfortable and noisy, my body has felt too weak, and I have had to be careful even with food. I have turned down invitations from friends because I do not want to relive the experience. I later bought a more expensive bottle from a local supermarket and still thought the taste was wrong. That deepened my mistrust. A higher price or a familiar shop no longer feels like a guarantee.

I have now stopped drinking and call myself a teetotaller, at least for the present. If I could go back to that Friday, I would walk away at the first bitter sip, regardless of what I had paid. I’d advise others not to be in a rush to finish a suspicious drink because they have incurred costs. The cost of the bottle is nothing compared with lost work, treatment and continuing pain.”

Read: From molasses to ethanol: Inside the making of illicit brews in Kenya

Mark Pollard

An Australian strategy consultant and author who spent 13 years in New York City and is considering relocating to Kenya

“My first serious episode began before dawn on a Friday. On the preceding Wednesday evening, I had four tequilas at a Kilimani venue and left at about 7pm. The next night I drank wine at an embassy, then beers in Westlands. At about 4am or 5am, I woke up vomiting and with diarrhoea. It eased after several hours, but I kept asking myself, ‘What is this?’ I had previously taken shots at two venues and vomited immediately. Those moments had already made me wonder whether I was drinking real alcohol.

Six days later, I ordered a Kenyan gin through [a delivery app] from a well-known supermarket. I sipped only about 60 to 70 millilitres over two hours. By 9pm, I had explosive vomiting and diarrhoea. My eyes watered, dehydration set in, and I kept thinking, ‘Can this please stop?’ It felt different from gastroenteritis and was far worse than the first episode.

I did not seek medical treatment. After the first incident, I bought some Imodium (over-the-counter diarrhoea medicine). It was incredibly expensive, about US$21 (Sh2,718) for around 12 tablets. That surprised me.

I cannot prove the alcohol caused either illness. An underlying condition or contaminated food is possible, and I do not want to spread misinformation. But what made me suspicious was the repetition, the small quantity the second time and the similar accounts sent to me by scores of people after I spoke publicly.

The experience changed how I drink. I stopped for two weeks, felt better and even went clubbing while drinking only water. I now try to reduce my consumption, eat before drinking and keep water on the table. But trust is the hardest problem. I had already restricted myself mainly to beer, then friends in the industry warned me that even sealed bottles might not be safe. Kenya needs consistent enforcement, credible product controls and opportunities that reduce the incentive to survive through a broken illicit system. Alcohol is already a poison; if adulterated alcohol is circulating too, it is a grave public-health issue.”

Read: Explainer: How to spot fake alcoholic drinks in Kenya