Miraa remains deeply entrenched among Kenya’s youth, with a new United Nations report estimating that nearly three million young people are using the stimulant even as heroin, cocaine and synthetic drugs continue to make inroads into the country’s young adult population.
Data released by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) shows that 20.1 per cent of Kenyans aged between 17 and 23 years reported using khat, commonly known as miraa. Based on the country’s youth population of 13.7 million, this translates to about 2.7 million users, making it the most widely consumed substance among those surveyed.
The findings are contained in a youth-focused dataset that forms part of the 2026 World Drug Report. The assessment points to a broader and increasingly varied drug environment among young adults, with hard drugs and synthetic substances also recording measurable levels of use.
According to the report, 3.0 per cent of respondents admitted to non-medical use of tranquillisers or sedatives. Another 1.8 per cent reported using heroin, while 1.6 per cent used cocaine. Ecstasy use stood at 1.5 per cent, while ketamine was reported by 1.0 per cent of those surveyed.
The release of the figures comes as UNODC raises concern over changes taking place in drug markets around the world, where synthetic substances are spreading rapidly and criminal networks are adopting new methods to move and distribute drugs.
“We have seen an unprecedented spike in new types of drugs on the market and, worryingly, some are more potent or dangerous than before,” UNODC executive director Monica Juma said.
Juma said one of the most notable developments highlighted in the report is the continued growth of synthetic drugs across global markets.
“In 2024, 755 new psychoactive substances, most of them synthetic, were reported globally – the highest number ever recorded in a single year,” she said.
“This trend reflects the growing ease with which synthetic substances can be manufactured at the same time as they are becoming harder to detect and interdict.”
The report notes that the presence of heroin and cocaine among Kenyan youth reflects long-standing concerns over the country’s exposure to international drug trafficking routes due to its strategic position as a transport and business hub in the region.
It also found that synthetic substances such as ecstasy and ketamine are now being used by a section of young people, reflecting patterns that have emerged in a number of developing countries.
As part of preparations for the 2026 World Drug Report, Nairobi was selected as one of six cities worldwide where researchers carried out qualitative studies on the connection between drug use, crime and public safety.
The UN findings are consistent with a report released by the National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (Nacada) in April this year.
In its Wastewater Analysis: To Assess Emerging New Psychoactive Substances and Illicit Drug Use in Kenya report, Nacada identified cannabis, heroin, cocaine, khat and mandrax as the most commonly used psychoactive substances. The study also detected methamphetamine, hashish, ecstasy and prescription drugs.
Nacada further reported that trafficking of plant-based new psychoactive substances remains concentrated in fewer regions compared to synthetic substances, with 19 countries reporting seizures of such drugs.
The agency noted that khat and kratom continue to account for the largest share of trafficking involving plant-based psychoactive substances.
The UNODC report also reflects trends captured in the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics' 2026 Economic Survey.
According to the survey, authorities confiscated 15,791 kilogrammes of dangerous drugs between 2024 and 2025.
Even with the latest findings, the UNODC assessment points to shortcomings in Kenya’s drug monitoring system, highlighting weaknesses in the collection and tracking of data needed to fully understand the scale and direction of substance use in the country.