MoH urges sustained vigilance against tobacco, deceptive industry practices » Capital News

NAIROBI, Kenya, May 29 — The Ministry of Health (MoH) has called for sustained vigilance in combating tobacco and curbing harmful indurtry practices, affirming its commitment to a tobacco-free future.

In a statement commemorating World No Tobacco Day (WNTD) 2025 under the theme “Unmasking the Appeal: Exposing Industry Tactics on Tobacco and Nicotine Products”, the ministry noted the need for vigilance against the tobacco industry’s evolving and deceptive tactics—especially those that target young people.

“The health of our future generations depends on our ability to expose and counter the tobacco industry’s predatory strategies,” Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Thursday.

This year’s WNTD theme focuses attention on the manipulative strategies employed by the tobacco and nicotine industry.

The practices include the use of flavored products, attractive packaging, and the intensification of digital marketing campaigns—all of which are designed to appeal to youth.

In response, Kenya has continued to push back with evidence-based policies, heightened community engagement, and strong inter-agency coordination, MoH noted.

“We are uniting to unmask and dismantle the manipulative tactics of the tobacco industry—especially those that prey on our youth,” Duale said.

“This is not just a health issue; it is a national development priority.”

Emerging Threats

Over the years, Kenya has made impressive progress in curbing tobacco consumption.

According to the 2022 Tobacco and Drug Abuse Survey (TADSAS), tobacco use among adults aged 15 to 65 has declined to 8.5 per cent, down from 11.6 per cent in 2014.

The reduction reflects the impact of sustained policy interventions including taxation on tobacco products, which has lowered affordability, particularly among youth.

Notably, there has been a 15 per cent drop in the initiation of smoking among adolescents since 2020.

The progress is attributed to stringent regulations, public health campaigns, and the rollout of graphic health warnings on tobacco packaging.

Duale noted that at the grassroots level, the Tobacco-Free Farms Initiative has made a marked difference by enabling farmers in Meru, Migori, Bungoma, and Busia counties to transition to alternative, more sustainable livelihoods—thereby shrinking the tobacco supply chain.

However, despite these gains, challenges persist. More than 650,000 adolescents aged 10 to 17 have experimented with tobacco or nicotine products, as highlighted in the 2024 DaYTA report.

The increasing popularity of flavored nicotine pouches among university students, alongside the fact that nearly 40 per cent of adolescents are exposed to tobacco advertising through digital and social media platforms, signals an urgent need for intensified action.

Breakthroughs

MoH reported it had made progress over a twelve-month period leading to 2025 to strengthen Kenya’s tobacco control framework.

Key interventions inlude a comprehensive national strategy to address emerging nicotine and tobacco products outlining costed interventions, tighter regulations, and targeted risk communication to tackle the growing use of novel products.

Legislatively, a review of the Tobacco Control Act (2007) was completed, with the proposed amendments currently undergoing stakeholder validation.

Additionally, in December 2024, a landmark ruling by the Court of Appeal upheld the national ban on shisha, reinforcing existing public health protections.

Duale also noted intensified enforcement efforts including coordinated night raids in April 2025 that led to the seizure of illicit nicotine pouches and other illegal tobacco products.

He vowed sustained operations in major urban centers across the country.

MoH also enumerated the implementation of a nationwide public education campaign from November 2024 to February 2025, which covered all 47 counties.

Organized into 10 regional clusters and supported by partners such as the International Institute for Legislative Affairs (ILA) and the Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA), the public awareness campaigns reached a broad cross-section of the population.

Graphic health warnings

The gazettement of seventeen new graphic health warnings for tobacco product packaging, now under rollout, bolstered Kenya’s health communication efforts.

The Tobacco-Free Farms Initiative also expanded its reach, with more farmers in tobacco-growing regions adopting sustainable agricultural alternatives.

In a related milestone, the Ministry finalized the design of prototype integrated outpatient cessation centers.

MoH has also conducted readiness assessments in Mombasa, Kisumu, Machakos, Kakamega, Kericho, Nakuru, Meru, and Garissa to support the rollout of a national cessation program.

Strategic partnerships with institutions such as the Kenya Medical Research Institute (KEMRI) have further strengthened data-driven policymaking, allowing the Ministry to adapt its approach in real time, Duale noted.

The government also advanced fiscal policies through collaboration with the National Treasury, resulting in increased taxes on tobacco and nicotine products—measures that have both curbed consumption and generated revenue for health programs.