Alcohol Control Policy and Regulation of Underage Drinking, a Case Study of Nyandarua County, Kenya
| dc.contributor.author | Kamau,Peter Mundia | |
| dc.date.accessioned | 2026-03-23T08:10:11Z | |
| dc.date.available | 2026-03-23T08:10:11Z | |
| dc.date.issued | 2025-09 | |
| dc.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 | |
| dc.description.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. | |
| dc.identifier.uri | https://ir-library.ku.ac.ke/handle/123456789/32824 | |
| dc.language.iso | en | |
| dc.publisher | Kenyatta University | |
| dc.title | Alcohol Control Policy and Regulation of Underage Drinking, a Case Study of Nyandarua County, Kenya | |
| dc.type | Thesis |