Laws in Kenya
How Kenya is classified on 32 of the 48 laws this site maps, grouped by subject. Each links to the full answer and its source.
Body & Life
- Abortion
- Legal (limited) Abortion is permitted on limited grounds such as a risk to health.
- Suicide Laws
- Criminal offense
- FGM Laws
- Specifically banned FGM is banned by a dedicated law or an explicit criminal provision.
- Surrogacy
- Unregulated There are no specific legal regulations or laws governing surrogacy in Kenya.
Money & Games
- Gambling Age
- 21+ Minimum age to gamble: 21.
Daily Life
- Public Smoking Bans
- Varies by region Kenya has smoking restrictions in specific cities like Nairobi and Mombasa, but no evidence of a uniform national law.
- Driving Age
- 18+ Minimum age to drive a car: 18.
Animals & Environment
- Fur Farming
- Legal No ban on fur farming.
- Cosmetic Animal Testing
- No ban No ban on testing cosmetics on animals.
- Plastic Bag Bans
- Banned Lightweight plastic bags are banned nationwide.
Civic & Family
- Voting Age
- 18 The voting age is 18.
- Compulsory Voting
- Voluntary Voting is voluntary.
- Minimum Working Age
- Under 14 Minimum working age: 13.
Relationships & Sexuality
- Same-Sex Marriage
- Not recognized Same-sex unions have no legal recognition, and marriage is constitutionally or statutorily barred.
- Same-Sex Activity
- Illegal Same-sex sexual activity is a criminal offence.
- Age of Consent
- 18+ The age of consent is 18.
- Sex Work
- Varies by region National law does not criminalize selling sex, but municipal by-laws like Nairobi's ban make it illegal in specific areas.
- Pornography
- Illegal Making, producing, or possessing obscene publications for trade or distribution is a criminal misdemeanour.
- Divorce
- Heavily restricted Divorce is legal but requires a long period of separation.
- Non-Binary Recognition
- Limited recognition Kenya requires an "I" gender marker for intersex people under the 2022 Children Act.
- Incest Laws
- Criminal offense
- Marriage Age
- 18+ Minimum marriage age: 18.
Speech & Belief
- Holocaust Denial
- No specific law No specific law against Holocaust denial.
- Conversion Therapy
- No ban No legal ban on conversion therapy.
Justice & Weapons
- Death Penalty
- Not used in practice Retained in law, but not used for at least ten years.
- Gun Laws
- Restrictive Handguns are licensed only at the authorities' discretion, or only to club members or existing owners.
- Military Conscription
- No conscription
Substances
- Cannabis
- Illegal Cannabis is illegal for all purposes.
- Drinking Age
- 18–20 Minimum age to buy alcohol: 18.
- Smoking Age
- 18 Minimum age to buy tobacco: 18.
- Khat
- Legal Khat is legal in Kenya, though its active components are classed as Class C substances.
- E-Cigarettes
- Legal / lightly regulated E-cigarettes are legal, subject to an age limit.
Nearby countries
A visual reference compiled from Wikipedia’s law-by-country articles, not legal advice. Laws change and summaries simplify — check a primary source before relying on anything here.