On 9 November 2026 the Milimani High Court issued interim orders that bar the sale and delivery of alcoholic drinks through e‑commerce platforms in Nairobi City County unless strict licensing, access and age‑verification rules are met.

Justice David Mburu certified the application as urgent after it was filed by David Biketi Wati against the Nairobi County Government and the County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Board.

The orders require every online vendor and platform to hold the licences and authorisations prescribed by law before offering alcoholic beverages.

Alcoholic products must be displayed only in a separate, access‑restricted digital section that can be opened after secure customer authentication such as a password or PIN.

Before a buyer can enter the restricted section, the platform must verify that the customer is at least 18 years old, and the same verification must be repeated independently before the drink is handed over or delivered.

The court also prohibited any advertising, hyperlinks or interactive promotions that direct users to purchase alcohol without first satisfying the authentication and age‑verification safeguards.

The petitioner must serve the orders on the respondents within two days, after which the respondents have seven days to file their responses.

A further hearing is scheduled for 18 November 2026 to confirm compliance and issue any additional directions, with the court warning that non‑compliance could attract penal consequences.

The orders follow Nairobi County’s recent proposal of the Nairobi City County Alcoholic Drinks Control and Licensing Bill, 2026, which aims to tighten regulation of online alcohol sales and curb under‑age drinking.

Trade and Hustler Opportunities Chief Officer Lydia Mathia said the forthcoming legislation will bring online alcohol businesses under stronger oversight, improve licensing and protect consumers, especially young people.