According to the data, the number of smokers in Kenya is expected to reach 3.61 million by 2029, and vaping vapes (8%) have become the most widely used tobacco product after tobacco. The Senate plans to amend the Tobacco Control Act to control the sale and advertising of new tobacco products.
E-cigarette Users Surge in Kenya
According to Consumer Insights on the company and Statista, reported on October 4, there were about 3.1 million cigarette customers in Kenya at the end of 2022, and this number is expected to rise to 3.61 million by 2029. The number of smokers in Kenya has been increasing over the past 15 years and is expected to increase by 200,000 in the next five years, an increase of 5.8%.
According to Statista, central Kenya currently has the highest percentage of smokers at 11.9%, followed by the coast and eastern regions at 10.8% and 10.7% respectively. In Kenya, tobacco (14%) and vaped vapes (8%) are the top two.
Senate proposes law change to tighten controls on new tobacco products
According to the Tobacco Control Board, more than 9,000 Kenyans die each year as a result of smoking. The popularity of vapes among young people, especially elementary and middle school students, has led to an increase in the number of underage smokers.
Against this background, the Senate Health Committee is beginning to amend the Tobacco Control Act, which went into effect on September 27, 2007, to establish the Tobacco Control Commission to control the manufacture, production, labeling, sale, sponsorship, and promotion of tobacco products.
In recent years, the emergence of new tobacco products such as vape brands and nicotine bags has made current laws seem backward. Catherine Mumma filed the amendment, noting that the last amendment in 2009 failed to foresee the popularity of nicotine products and bags.
The primary purpose of Senate Bill No. 35 of 2022 (the “Bill”) is to amend the Tobacco Control Act of 2007 to control electronic nicotine delivery systems, including vapes and related products, to control the advertising of tobacco and tobacco products for sale to minors, and to ensure the prior permission of the Cabinet Secretary.
The new law, once in effect, prohibits the manufacture, import, distribution, storage, or sale of nicotine products without the approval of the Secretary of Health. In addition, electronic nicotine delivery systems, their complementary utensils, and the manufacture, distribution, marketing, sale, and advertising of tobacco products will also be restricted.
