The Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) has assured Kenyans that methanol found in the country cannot be mistaken for alcohol, following reports that Kenya has been added to a UK Foreign Office list warning of the risk of methanol poisoning from counterfeit drinks.

In a statement, on Wednesday, October 22, 2025, KEBS said its attention had been drawn to media reports linking Kenya to countries where tourists face the risk of methanol poisoning. The bureau maintained that locally available methanol is properly regulated and cannot be consumed accidentally because of its extreme bitterness.

“KEBS would like to assure the public 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.

All methanol manufactured or imported into Kenya must comply with strict standards developed by the Industrial Solvents and Chemical Technical Committee and approved for industrial use. These include KS 2471:2013 for methanol industrial use, KS 2487-1:2014 for safety of industrial products, KS 2583:2014 for denatonium benzoate testing, and KS 2586:2014 for the transport of dangerous goods.

Strict standards prevent misuse

According to KEBS, these standards require that all methanol meant for industrial purposes, except laboratory-grade products, be denatured with denatonium benzoate – the world’s bitterest chemical compound – to prevent it from being ingested.

“Section 4.1.6 of KS 2586:2014 states that all grades of methanol, except those meant for laboratory use, shall be denatured with denatonium benzoate to prevent oral intake by vulnerable consumers,” the statement added.

The bureau said this measure ensures that methanol cannot be confused with alcohol because even small amounts of denatonium benzoate make it too bitter to swallow. KEBS also noted that these safety standards are used both in product certification and in verifying compliance before methanol is approved for use in industries.

The response follows a UK advisory adding Kenya, along with Ecuador, Japan, Mexico, Nigeria, Peru, Russia and Uganda, to a list of countries where travellers are warned to be cautious of methanol poisoning from counterfeit or tainted alcoholic drinks.

While acknowledging the Foreign Office’s warning to British tourists, KEBS clarified that its regulations make it impossible for industrial methanol to enter the local alcoholic drinks market.

“Denaturation ensures that methanol cannot be consumed. All methanol available in Kenya meets safety requirements,” KEBS said.