Buruburu classroom shock as teen girl says she wants to drink alcohol when she grows up

On a quiet Sunday morning in Buruburu, an Anglican pastor posed what seemed like a simple question to a group of schoolgirls: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” girl, barely in her teens, answered without hesitation.

“When I grow up, I would like to drink alcohol,” said Janet Njeri Kamau.

The room fell silent. When the pastor asked why she would choose such a path, her answer was strikingly simple: her parents drank alcohol, and at home it had been normalised as something reserved for adults, unlike juice and soft drinks, which were for children.

For those present, it was a moment that blurred the line between innocence and imitation. For experts studying changing drinking patterns in Kenya, it reflects a deeper story unfolding across homes, campuses and cities.

Kisumu-based social psychologist Tamara Ochieng says alcohol consumption among Kenyan women is rising, driven by changing lifestyles and cultural influences.

“Alcohol is becoming increasingly common among women and girls due to Western influence, foreign media, films and peer pressure,” she says.

At the University of Nairobi and other institutions, former administrator Moses Araya says alcohol has become deeply embedded in student social life, including among female students.

“Many young women drink regularly, and in some cases even more frequently than their male counterparts,” he says.

Pressures behind the trend

Araya recalls students whose lives revolved around caregiving duties, financial hardship and long commutes, leaving little room for leisure. “For many, survival rather than socialising shapes their daily lives,” he says.

Experts say the reasons behind alcohol use among women are complex. Emotional stress, relationship breakdowns, marital conflicts, financial pressure and peer influence all contribute. Some women turn to alcohol to cope with loneliness, disappointment or frustration, while others are introduced to drinking through social circles or economic vulnerability. “In some cases, women drink to escape emotional strain or disappointment in relationships,” says Araya.

“For others, drinking spaces become social outlets or even survival networks,” he adds.

A 2017 report by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) found that about 28 per cent of women of childbearing age engage in binge drinking.

Urban centres, such as Nairobi, Nakuru, Kisumu and Mombasa report higher levels of alcohol consumption among women, fuelled by nightlife economies, social networks and higher disposable incomes.

“Nairobi, in particular, brings together wealth, opportunity and an active nightlife,” says Araya. “It creates an environment where different lifestyles intersect in complex ways.”

Church elder Margaret Were of Redeemed Gospel Church in Kariobangi South says loneliness and social isolation also contribute.

“Divorced women, single mothers and single women often turn to alcohol to cope with frustration and loneliness,” she says, adding; “Many are simply looking for comfort.”

Cultural practices also influence drinking patterns. Nacada reports indicate that alcohol consumption among women has historically been more socially accepted in some communities, particularly among sections of the Kalenjin community, in counties, such as Uasin Gishu, Nandi and Kericho, which report relatively higher levels of female alcohol consumption.

In contrast, predominantly Muslim counties, such as Garissa and Mandera record significantly lower rates.

Although men still outnumber women in overall alcohol consumption, experts warn that the increasing number of female drinkers carries significant social implications. These include strained family relationships, reduced productivity and increased vulnerability among young mothers.

Araya argues that weak enforcement of alcohol regulations has worsened the situation, with some establishments operating outside permitted hours.

Yet beyond statistics and policy debates lies a more personal reality: women navigating pressure, expectations and daily struggles in different forms.

Whether in university lecture halls, city nightlife or quiet neighbourhood homes, alcohol is becoming part of the social fabric for some Kenyan women.

It is not simply a story of excess, but one shaped by modern pressures, cultural shifts and personal challenges.

And for the young girl in Buruburu, her answer remains a sobering reminder of how early those influences can begin.