KEBS responds to UK travel advisory, says methanol in Kenya ‘too bitter to be consumed’

The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has clarified that all methanol available in the country is not safe for consumption.

Responding to the UK Foreign Office’s move to list Kenya among eight countries facing a risk of methanol poisoning from counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks, KEBS stated that all locally manufactured or imported methanol must comply with standards set by the Industrial Solvents and Chemical Technical Committee.

“KEBS would like to assure the public that all methanol in the country is denatured by adding the bitterest chemical called denatonium benzoate. This means that methanol found in Kenya can never be mistaken for alcohol, as this component makes its taste extremely bitter for human ingestion,” the agency said.

To prevent misuse, KEBS noted that all consignments of methanol—whether imported or locally produced—are denatured with denatonium benzoate, except those intended strictly for laboratory use. This, it explained, ensures that methanol cannot be consumed by unsuspecting or vulnerable individuals.

The agency added that the regulations require all grades of methanol, apart from laboratory-grade, to contain at least 8 parts per million (ppm) of the denatonium benzoate denaturant.

“The above standards are used in issuing product certification marks of quality to methanol as well as in checking compliance before methanol is approved for intended use,” KEBS stated.

Earlier Wednesday, the UK Foreign Office issued a travel advisory warning tourists about the risk of potentially fatal methanol poisoning from fake or adulterated alcoholic drinks in Kenya, Uganda, and Nigeria.

According to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), eight new countries—Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda, and Russia—have been added to the list of destinations where such risks exist.

“The FCDO has added methanol poisoning guidance to travel advice pages for eight countries: Ecuador, Kenya, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Uganda and Russia,” the FCDO said. “The FCDO previously only included guidance on methanol poisoning in places where British nationals have been affected. These countries are: Cambodia, Indonesia, Turkey, Costa Rica, Thailand, Vietnam, Laos and Fiji.”

The office noted that the update followed consultations with Parliamentarians, industry bodies, and individuals affected by methanol poisoning abroad.

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