As public hearings for the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill continue across Kenya, public health officials, local governments, and harm reduction advocates are sharply divided over proposed regulations for novel nicotine products, tax ring-fencing, and county-level enforcement responsibilities.
National Cancer Institute Pushes for Tax Ring-Fencing and Expanded Restrictions
The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is urging Parliament to direct at least 30 percent of all tobacco and nicotine-related revenues toward cancer prevention, research, and treatment support. During an engagement with the National Assembly Departmental Committee on Health Dr Elias Melly, Chief Executive Officer of the institute, threw institutional weight behind the overarching goals of the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024.
NCI argued that tougher rules are urgently required to combat rising malignancies. Consumption of tobacco remains a primary preventable cause of cancers affecting the lungs, oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, pancreas, and bladder. Alongside revenue ring-fencing, the institute wants lawmakers to mandate plain packaging, tighten curbs on sponsorship, and scale up support for tobacco cessation services. Officials pointed to findings from the Global Adult Tobacco Survey Kenya 2014, which recorded that approximately 11.6 percent of adults—roughly 2.5 million people—actively used tobacco, with 72 percent of daily users consuming a product within 30 minutes of waking up.
Harm Reduction Advocates Demand Product Differentiation and Flavor Protections
While health institutions push for stricter controls, harm reduction specialists warn that treating all nicotine items identically will backfire on smokers trying to quit. Speaking during public participation sessions in Meru County, the Secretary General of the Harm Reduction Society of Kenya argued that the legislation fails to distinguish between combustible cigarettes and smoke-free alternatives like electronic vapes and nicotine pouches.
“We are also saying that we need product differentiation between combustible and non-combustible products and there is insurmountable scientific evidence to prove that those two products are completely different and the risk. Fine, it’s completely different and we must adopt what we call the risk continuum in as far as tobacco is concerned.”
Secretary General of the Harm Reduction Society of Kenya
Advocates also cautioned against blanket flavor bans, noting that non-tobacco flavor options help adult cigarette users transition away from smoking. According to published scientific arguments cited during the debate, research from Yale University indicates that adults using flavored alternatives are twice as likely to quit combustible cigarettes as those restricted to tobacco flavors. Experts maintain that while youth access must be strictly policed through enforcement, policies should not strip adult smokers of harm-reduced alternatives.
County Governments Raise Devolution and Enforcement Concerns
The Migori Tobacco-Free Farming Shift
Agricultural and health authorities point to ongoing transition projects elsewhere in the country as proof that alternative livelihoods are viable. In Migori County, a collaborative initiative involving the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, the World Food Programme, and the Kenyan government has successfully transitioned hundreds of farmers away from tobacco cultivation through the Tobacco-Free Farms Project. Farmers in the region planted high-iron beans instead of tobacco, backed by guaranteed local procurement from the World Food Programme. Participating groups supplied 135 metric tons of beans, generating higher incomes while eliminating the severe occupational health hazards associated with handling wet tobacco leaves and chemical pesticides.
Продолжение темы
