Alcohol Control Policy and Regulation of Underage Drinking, a Case Study of Nyandarua County, Kenya
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Date
2025-09
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Despite the county government having had a shared responsibility with national
government in the ultimate authority in regulating the alcohol trade and enacting new
laws, alcohol remained a significant issue in Kenya. In the view of Nyandarua County
Alcoholic Drinks Act 2014, this study aimed to explore how the enactment of alcohol
control policy impacted underage drinking in Nyandarua County. The objectives
included examining the effects of licensing, enforcement regulations, and stakeholder
engagement on underage drinking in the county. The outcomes of this study were of
advantage to the alcohol regulation board in Nyandarua County and the government of
Kenya by providing valuable insights into alcohol trade regulation, especially against
underage drinking. The study was grounded on New Public Management, Street-level
Bureaucracy, and Social Exchange theories. The study adopted a descriptive research
design, targeting a population of 466 respondents, which included 427 liquor
establishments in Kinangop sub-county and 39 stakeholders comprising government
officials, religious leaders, PTA members, and teachers. as they held critical roles in
departments responsible for policy formulation and implementation, while
simultaneously embodying societal norms, moral authority, and community
educational interests. A representative sample size of 120 respondents was engaged and
comprised of 81 bar attendants as per Taro’s formula (1967) selected through simple
random sampling, and 39 other respondents selected by use of purposeful sampling.
Data was collected using validated semi-structured questionnaires and interview
guides, with reliability tested using Cronbach’s Alpha and validity ensured through
supervisor review. Both quantitative and qualitative data were analyzed using
descriptive statistics, thematic analysis, SPSS, and regression modeling. Permission to
conduct the research was obtained from Kenyatta University, county government
offices, respondents, and NACOSTI. Findings revealed that all three variables played
a critical role in the regulation of underage drinking. Enforcement of alcohol regulation
emerged as the strongest predictor (β = 0.43, p = 0.000), followed by licensing
regulation (β = 0.33, p = 0.000), and lastly stakeholder engagement (β = 0.25, p =
0.000). The regression model explained 52% of the variation in regulation of underage
drinking, confirming the relevance of these variables. Therefore, this study
recommended that the County government of Nyandarua should adequately allocate
resources in order to address the issue of logistics and lack of enough enforcement
personnel. There should have been formation of specialized anti-liquor units, feedback
mechanism establishment, and establishment of anti-corruption units in order to ensure
effectiveness of the policies, while stringent penalties should have been adopted for any
non-compliance with regulation. Lastly, the government should have formed funded
civil engagements, community-based post-licensing vigilance committees, established
key stakeholders’ databases in each sub-county, and formed feedback mechanisms such
as hotlines, suggestion boxes, and reporting templates in order to collectively address
the issue of underage drinking in Nyandarua County.
Description
A Research Project Submitted to the School of Law, Art And Social Sciences in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirement for the Award of Masters of Degree of Arts
in Public Policy and Administration of Kenyatta University. September, 2025
supervisor
Wilson Muna