Retailers under the Bar, Hotel & Liquor Traders Association (BAHLITA) have faulted the process around the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, saying their exclusion from the debate risks weakening the fight against harmful products and illicit trade.
Secretary General Boniface Gachoka said retailers want to bring practical solutions, including measures to curb youth access, but their input has not been considered.
“Maybe you can come in, because now you’re touching alcohol. Now that is me a few things, right when we talk about tumbako and celebrities and movies, and this is where we want to approach this conversation in a very sober way. There are no proper movies in Kenya that you can see the influence. These are foreign movies, and whether we like it or not, our children will access them, and that’s why we’re saying we need to control,” he said during an interview with Radio Generation
Gachoka noted that BAHLITA is preparing its own internal policy to promote harm reduction and responsible trade. He compared challenges in the tobacco industry to the liquor sector, where 60 percent of the market is dominated by illicit products.
“Some of them, they are packed nowadays. They are everywhere. But 60 percent, the negative impact that they do to the people is now what we blame the 40 percent who are legal. The same case to the tumbako industry. What are we doing about the 45 percent illicit?” he asked.
BAHLITA also raised concern about past government efforts to shift farmers from tobacco cultivation, questioning their effectiveness.
“It was implemented in Migori, and some peas were brought for the farmers to grow them, for them to move away from that trading. Did it succeed? Why unrealistic?” he posed.
On the issue of flavours, Gachoka said BAHLITA supports the removal of child-friendly options like strawberry and dessert-based products but cautioned against a blanket ban.
“As retailers, we’re very realistic people. It’s also a concern that what we should do, and these are our suggestion, we should remove child-like flavors,” he said.
BAHLITA has also proposed innovative measures for regulating products such as vapes, including adopting models seen abroad.
“If you go to Japan, vapes are there. But those vapes, you have to put your fingerprint for you to smoke them. And that is the suggestion we are giving, and that is the opportunity,” Gachoka said.
He further questioned the accountability of the Solution Fund, a levy collected from manufacturers and importers to support public health programs. “This Solution Fund is paid to the Minister of Health, to the Tobacco Board.
It is a percentage of the sales. This fund is supposed to regulate the impact, but up to date, I don’t even know what it does,” he said.
The Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, sponsored by ODM-nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, is at the Committee of the Whole House stage after passing the second reading.
The Bill proposes a ban on flavours in nicotine products, outlaws hawking or vending of tobacco products, and prohibits online advertising and digital sales.
