Smoking in Kenya
Cigarettes are legally allowed for sale and smoke in Kenya, but there are some certain restrictions in place. Under these regulations, health warnings on all packaging of cigarettes and a minimum sales age of 18 years are required. However, there are no legal restrictions on smoking in public places. The product can be legally imported for trade with a license, but there is a comprehensive ban on all advertisements, online sales, and vending machine purchases. Additionally, an excise tax of 19.13%, contributing to a total taxation rate of 32.92%, is applied to cigarettes. Tobacco smoking in Kenya remains a formidable public health concern. The number of smokers aged 15 and older in 2024 was estimated to be 2,3 million individuals based on the data from the World Health Organization (WHO). This indicates that the overall current smoking prevalence among adults was 6.4%, with a marked gender disparity observed: 12.1% of adult males and 0.9% of adult females were reported to be smokers. This represents a slight decrease from 2020 when the current prevalence among adults was 8.1% overall, 15.6% among adult males and 0.8% among adult females. In 2021, tobacco smoking accounted for 9,418 deaths, corresponding to 2.63% of all deaths attributed to smoking. Gender differences in smoking-related mortality are evident, with 7810 male deaths (3.81% of all male deaths) and 1608 female deaths (1.05% of all female deaths). For reference, the adult daily smoking prevalence in 2015 was 8.3%, with 16.6% among males and 0.4% among females. These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge of tobacco smoking in Kenya, necessitating continued public health interventions and regulatory measures to reduce smoking prevalence and associated health impacts.
Read articles from Kenya
May 25, 2021 by kahawatungu.com
Experts Fault Kenyan Gov’t For Banning Oral Nicotine Products
Kenya’s obstructive stance on innovative tobacco-free oral nicotine products (ONDS) is denying thousands of smokers desperate to quit cigarettes an extraordinary opportunity to have informed choices and save lives.
That’s according to international medical experts who addressed the Africa Tobacco Harm Reduction Forum [...]
“By lagging behind the rest of the world in its stance on tobacco harm reduction (THR), the Kenyan
government is blocking the escape from tobacco-related disease and death for 30,000 smokers a year, with no chance of reprieve,” CASA Chairman Joseph Magero told the webinar.
November 17, 2020 by vapingpost.com
BAT to Start Manufacturing Nicotine Pouches in Kenya
A recent study conducted by the tobacco company to illustrate the relative safety of the products, analysed the toxicological impact of BAT’s nicotine pouches Velo, formerly called Lyft. These tea bag-like pouches, are similar in appearance and use to snus. They are placed under the upper lip for about 15 to 30 minutes depending on the preferred nicotine dose and have the added benefit of being tobacco-free, odour-free, and not requiring spitting.
October 23, 2020 by businessdailyafrica.com
BAT sees a future through the smoke on nicotine pouches
We announced to the government [of Kenya] about two years ago now that we had the intention to invest $25 million in a new manufacturing site. This is part of the group’s strategy to move the business into potentially harm-reduced products.
Basically, we are providing more choices and allowing people to move away from smoking. That strategy has been in place at the group level for over 10 years in terms of research and development. But, as a business, now we are at a position to start expanding the footprint of these new categories around the world.
January 15, 2020 by businessdailyafrica.com
BAT raises cigarette prices on higher taxes
BAT Kenya has raised the prices of nearly all of its cigarettes by up to Sh15 per packet in changes the company said are meant to pass increased taxes to consumers.
The price increments took effect on January 2. The Finance Act 2019 raised excise duty charged on cigarettes by 14.1 percent effective last November. The Nairobi Securities Exchange-listed firm said the higher taxes have made cigarettes made in Kenya expensive, adding that this has, in turn, fuelled smuggling of cheap products from neighbouring countries.
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