On this year’s World No Tobacco Day, Kenya took a bold and symbolic stand against the illicit tobacco trade and rising youth nicotine addiction, with the destruction of over 4.4 tonnes of illegal tobacco products at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (MTRH) in Eldoret.
Presiding over the event, Cabinet Secretary for Health Hon. Aden Duale, EGH, described the exercise as a public health milestone and a national security imperative. The destroyed products—confiscated at Eldoret International Airport—included shisha, gutkha tobacco, flavoured e-cigarettes, and other delivery devices. The Health CS affirmed that these products were illegally imported, substandard, and in violation of Kenyan law.
> “Kenya is not a dumping ground for harmful substances. Our laws are clear, and our enforcement agencies are alert,” CS Duale declared. “We will not allow our borders to be breached by smugglers who place profit over the lives of our people.”
He condemned the illicit tobacco trade as a “direct assault on public health” and a “threat to national integrity,” noting its impact on young people through deceptive marketing and addictive ingredients.
The event saw participation from top government agencies including Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS), Immigration, Security Agencies, and Port Health Services, praised by the CS for their collaborative vigilance in intercepting the contraband.
In a major policy announcement, CS Duale issued an immediate suspension of all existing licenses and import clearances related to nicotine and related products, including shisha.
> “All persons or entities previously licensed are required to reapply within twenty-one (21) days, submitting full compliance documentation,” he announced, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance.
The destruction of the products was carried out using environmentally safe technologies, with support from MTRH. CS Duale commended the hospital for its role in ensuring both public health and environmental integrity.
Highlighting the health dangers of tobacco and nicotine—particularly to young people—CS Duale warned that these substances cause brain damage, lung impairment, and lifelong addiction, undermining the country’s healthcare system and future generations.
> “This is not the time for complacency. The cost of inaction is a generation addicted to nicotine, an overburdened health system, and families torn apart by disease and premature death,” he said.
He urged all Kenyans—leaders, educators, parents, and citizens—to “choose health, choose life, and choose a tobacco-free Kenya.”
The bold enforcement actions and sweeping reforms announced are part of Kenya’s renewed commitment as a State Party to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, signaling a clear message to traffickers and manufacturers of illicit substances: Kenya will defend its borders and its people.
As the country continues its fight against drug and substance abuse, the Ministry of Health has pledged continued investment in border surveillance, port health units, and public education to safeguard the nation’s wellbeing.
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