The United Kingdom Foreign Office has issued a new travel warning for Kenya after linking the country to a growing number of methanol poisoning cases caused by contaminated or counterfeit alcohol.
Kenya is among eight countries added to the UK’s latest advisory, which urges British citizens and tourists to exercise extreme caution when purchasing or consuming alcoholic drinks abroad. Other newly listed nations include Japan and Ecuador.
According to the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO), the update follows recent incidents in which British travelers fell ill after consuming alcohol suspected to contain methanol, a toxic industrial chemical unsafe for human consumption.
“We advise travelers to avoid unlabeled, unusually cheap, or homemade alcoholic beverages, which may contain dangerous levels of methanol,” the FCDO stated in the alert.
The UK has previously issued similar advisories for Thailand, Laos, Vietnam, Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, and Fiji, following multiple poisoning cases — including the deaths of six tourists in Laos in 2024.
Health experts warn that methanol poisoning can cause severe health complications, including blindness, liver and kidney failure, or even death.
Travelers experiencing symptoms such as dizziness, severe headache, nausea, vomiting, or blurred vision are advised to seek immediate medical attention.
The warning comes amid a rise in fake alcohol production in parts of East Africa, prompting local authorities to increase surveillance and enforcement under Kenya’s National Campaign Against Counterfeit Alcoholic Drinks.
