Kenya

Penalties for possessing, using, or trafficking illegal drugs in Kenya are severe.

Long jail sentences and heavy fines.

Verified Jul 23, 2026

Cannabis is illegal in Kenya. Simply having it is a criminal offence under section 3 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (Control) Act (Cap. 245). If you satisfy the court that the cannabis was intended solely for your own consumption the maximum is five years' imprisonment or a fine of up to one hundred thousand shillings, but that is something you must prove after arrest, not a personal-use allowance. Using it is a separate offence with a higher minimum penalty, the trafficking section is worded to cover mere possession with far heavier penalties banded by weight, and police may arrest without a warrant. Two further subsections reach people holding nothing at all: under section 5(1)(c) an owner, occupier or person concerned in the management of premises who permits them to be used for smoking or otherwise using a narcotic drug faces a fine of not less than twenty million shillings or not less than ten years in prison, a minimum term that is double the maximum for holding cannabis yourself; and under section 5(1)(b) merely being found, without lawful and reasonable excuse, in a house, room or place to which people resort to use drugs is itself an offence.

Possession of any narcotic drug is an offence under section 3(1) of Cap. 245. Where the person satisfies the court the cannabis was solely for personal consumption, section 3(2)(a) provides imprisonment of not more than five years or a fine of not more than one hundred thousand shillings, and the court may additionally order a treatment or rehabilitation programme of not less than six months (section 3(2)(c)). Smoking, inhaling or otherwise using a narcotic drug is a separate offence under section 5(1)(a), carrying a fine of not less than two hundred and fifty thousand shillings or imprisonment of not less than five years, or both. Being found without lawful and reasonable excuse in a place to which persons resort to use drugs carries the same penalty under section 5(1)(b). Permitting premises you own, occupy or manage to be used for drug use is punished far more heavily under section 5(1)(c): a fine of not less than twenty million shillings or imprisonment of not less than ten years, or both. Permitting premises to be used for cultivation carries, under section 6(b), a fine of two hundred and fifty thousand shillings or three times the market value of the plant, whichever is greater, or up to twenty years, or both. Section 4 on trafficking is worded to cover a person who has a narcotic drug in his or her possession, with penalties banded by quantity: 1 to 100 grams, not less than thirty million shillings or thirty years; more than 100 grams, not less than fifty million shillings or three times market value, whichever is greater, or fifty years. Police may arrest without a warrant (section 80).

Verified Sep 9, 2026

Importing firearms (including sporting guns) is prohibited except under permit, and possessing any ammunition without a firearms certificate carries a mandatory minimum sentence.

Any ammunition: minimum 7-year sentence; Firearms Act violations: 1 year to life.

Verified Jul 23, 2026

You may depart Kenya with a maximum of 100,000 Kenyan shillings, and destroying Kenyan currency — even in small amounts — is illegal.

Destroying Kenyan currency almost always results in arrest and a fine.

Verified Jul 29, 2026

Strict rules apply to importing or exporting ivory, rhino horn, and other wildlife products (hides, skins, teeth) under Kenya's Wildlife Act.

Large fines and up to life imprisonment for banned wildlife items.

Verified Jul 23, 2026

Kenya regulates public alcohol consumption; a person found intoxicated or disorderly near public areas may be arrested without warrant, and repeat offenses can trigger mandatory rehabilitation at your own cost.

Up to ~500 KES fine and/or up to 3 months imprisonment.

Verified Jul 23, 2026

Smoking in public places is prohibited except in designated areas under Kenya's Tobacco Control Act, which strictly regulates tobacco sale and marketing.

Verified Jul 23, 2026

You can drive in Kenya on your home photocard licence for up to 3 months; after that you need a 1968-version International Driving Permit together with your licence, and you cannot buy an IDP once you have left home.

On-the-spot fines from traffic police are common but illegal — if stopped, ask the officer to issue the correct paperwork.

Verified Jul 29, 2026

You cannot buy an anonymous SIM in Kenya - every SIM must be registered to an identified subscriber before it works. A visitor registers with a valid passport or a Foreign National Registration Certificate (Registration of Telecommunications Services Subscriber Regulations 2025, reg. 5(d)); registering the subscriber is the operator's or agent's legal duty, not optional (reg. 4(1)). The 2025 regulations set no expiry tied to your visa or entry permit. Where an operator issues a compliance notice and it goes unanswered, the SIM is deactivated after 90 days (regs. 16-17). Roaming on your home SIM avoids Kenyan registration entirely.

Contravening the Regulations - including giving false registration information (reg. 11(3)) or registering a SIM without verification (reg. 7(3)) - carries a fine of up to KSh 1,000,000 or imprisonment of up to 6 months, or both (reg. 20(2)).

Verified Sep 17, 2026

Kenyan law criminalizes same-sex sexual activity — the penal code prohibits 'carnal knowledge against the order of nature' with a maximum penalty of 14 years, and a separate statute criminalizes sex between men with a maximum of 21 years.

Up to 14 years imprisonment (general) or up to 21 years (sex between men).

Verified Jul 29, 2026

Kenya's coastal areas are mainly Muslim — dress conservatively away from tourist resorts and hotels, particularly in Mombasa, and avoid public displays of affection.

Public displays of affection can lead to arrest and imprisonment.

Verified Jul 29, 2026