Nairobi, Kenya, Jul 31 – The government is rolling out a new set of stringent measures to combat tobacco use, which health officials say is contributing to the alarming rise in cancer and other non-communicable diseases in the country.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale told the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation that the ministry is seeking to tighten tobacco control laws through new regulations, including the introduction of graphic health warnings on cigarette packaging, and a wider crackdown on illicit products disguised as tobacco but laced with dangerous drugs.
“We are facing a public health emergency.Tobacco and nicotine use are destroying our youth, and we must act decisively,”Duale said.
Duale revealed that the ministry has already seized several shipping containers carrying harmful substances disguised as tobacco products. He said forensic tests conducted by the Government Chemist and investigations by the Directorate of Criminal Investigations confirmed the presence of narcotic substances.
However, he expressed frustration that efforts to destroy the seized goods are often blocked in court, sometimes by individuals with powerful connections.
“There are containers I have ordered held because forensic tests confirmed they contain dangerous drugs. But when I move to destroy them, someone rushes to court to stop the process,” Duale told MPs.
“These substances are linked to big people. That’s the weakest link corruption and the abuse of our judicial system.”
Duale said his ministry has now tabled the 2025 Graphic Health Warnings for Tobacco Products for approval by Parliament, in line with Section 21(4) of the Tobacco Control Act and the Statutory Instruments Act.
The regulations introduce images and pictograms on cigarette packaging to deter tobacco use particularly among youth and new users by showing the health consequences of smoking.
“We want to overcome language and literacy barriers through impactful visuals. Fancy branding lures young people to smoke we must counter that with the truth,” said the CS.
The new graphic warning labels are legally required to cover 30 percent of the front panel and 50 percent of the rear panel of tobacco packaging, with messages printed in both English and Kiswahili.
They will come into effect nine months from the date of publication under Legal Notice No. 107 of 12th June, 2025.
Director General for Health, Patrick Amoth, said the move aligns Kenya with global best practices and is part of a wider shift to confront the growing threat of non-communicable diseases.
“By 2030, non-communicable diseases will overtake communicable diseases in Kenya. Tobacco is a key driver not just of cancer but also of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, and chronic respiratory conditions,” Amoth said.
He added that tobacco use is also linked to infertility, erectile dysfunction, and complications during pregnancy, including preterm births.
Duale noted that Kenya domesticated the World Health Organization Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (WHO-FCTC) in 2007, but implementation has been sluggish due to regulatory loopholes and legal challenges from vested interests.
He defended his decision to destroy over 5.5 tons of harmful products in Eldoret and Mombasa after securing court approval, and vowed to continue with similar enforcement actions.
“I will not be intimidated. The law must protect the people not powerful individuals profiting from addiction,” he said.
According to the World Health Organization, tobacco kills more than 8 million people globally each year, including 1.2 million deaths from secondhand smoke.
Duale said the country will act urgently to reduce these figures, especially as it confronts a cancer crisis that is claiming thousands of lives annually.
