UK issues methanol poisoning alert for British travellers to Kenya amid rising counterfeit alcohol cases
The UK has warned its citizens visiting Kenya to be cautious of tainted alcohol after reports of methanol poisoning incidents.
KENYA – The United Kingdom has issued a travel advisory warning its citizens visiting Kenya to exercise caution when consuming alcoholic beverages due to the risk of methanol poisoning from counterfeit or adulterated drinks.
The UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) added Kenya to a list of eight new countries where incidents of methanol poisoning involving British travellers have been reported. Other nations newly added to the list include Nigeria, Uganda, Japan, Mexico, Peru, Ecuador, and Russia.
This update expands existing guidance for destinations such as Thailand, Laos, and Vietnam, which have previously recorded similar cases among British tourists. The advisory warns that travellers could unknowingly consume methanol-contaminated alcohol, especially in unregulated establishments.
Methanol, unlike ethanol, the main component in alcoholic beverages, is produced synthetically and is highly toxic. It is colourless, tasteless, and odourless, making it difficult to detect in drinks.
According to Doctors Without Borders, ingesting as little as 30 millilitres can cause blindness or death within 12 to 48 hours. Early symptoms include nausea, vomiting, dizziness, and confusion, while severe cases can lead to blurred vision, respiratory failure, and death.
Hamish Falconer, the UK Minister for Consular and Crisis, advised travellers to purchase only sealed alcoholic beverages from licensed outlets and to avoid homemade or pre-mixed cocktails.
“Tourists should remain vigilant and avoid consuming alcohol from unverified sources,” Falconer said.
In response, the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) assured the public that methanol available in the country is denatured with denatonium benzoate—a bitter chemical that prevents it from being mistaken for drinkable alcohol.
“Methanol found in Kenya can never be mistaken for alcohol, as its taste is extremely bitter for human ingestion,” KEBS stated.
A May 2024 study by Euromonitor International revealed that illicit alcohol accounted for 60% of all alcohol sales in Kenya, driven by high taxes on legal beverages and weak local enforcement.
In August, the Kenyan government launched a nationwide crackdown through a 100-day Rapid Results Initiative (RRI) targeting the production and sale of illicit alcohol and narcotics to protect communities from harmful substances.
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