- The new warnings are a set of 13 images, some showing that using tobacco causes cancer, death, impotence and harms foetuses.
- There is also a warning indicating nicotine pouches are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.
Kenyans have until next week to give their views on proposed new graphic cigarette-pack warnings.
The Ministry of Health in a public notice in the dailies invited the public to submit their views before they are gazetted.
The objective of the graphic health warnings is to increase knowledge about risks associated with tobacco use and to deter initiation to tobacco.
They are also aimed at reducing tobacco consumption and persuading tobacco users to quit as well as breaking the challenges of languages and the inability to read text-only messages
"Interested members of the public, stakeholders and organisations are invited to submit any comments, views, or representations regarding the draft graphic health warnings through public hearings," Health CS Susan Nakhumicha said.
"The hearings shall aim to get oral submissions on the draft health warnings to ensure that people likely affected by the statutory instruments have adequate opportunity to give views."
According to the schedule released by the ministry residents in the Central region counties of Nyandarua, Nyeri, Kirinyaga, Murang’a and Kiambu will have an opportunity to submit their views on May 2, at Kenya Medical Training Institute Nyeri campus.
The sessions will also take place on the same day in Nyanza region.
Residents of Siaya, Kisumu, Homa Bay, Kisii, Migori and Nyamira will be required to submit their views in public forums at Tom Mboya Labour College Kisumu.
On May 3, the forums will be held in Western, Upper Eastern and North Eastern regions.
Residents of Kakamega, Vihiga, Bungoma and Busia can submit their views during forums which will be held at Masinde Muliro University in Kakamega.
Those in Embu, Marsabit, Isiolo, Meru, Tharaka Nithi, Garissa, Wajir and Mandera will do so at the Kenya School of Government (KSG) in Embu.
On May 6, the public forums will be at Coast covering Taita Taveta, Kwale, Kilifi, Tana River and Lamu at the Technical University of Mombasa.
Those in the Rift Valley region covering Nakuru, Uasin Gishu, Elgeyo Marakwet, Samburu, Nandi, Turkana, Trans Nzoia, West Pokot, Baringo, Laikipia, Kericho, Bomet and Narok will submit their views at the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute in Eldoret.
On May 8 the forums will be held in Lower Eastern counties covering Machakos, Kajiado, Nairobi, Kitui and Makueni at the National Industrial Training Authority in Machakos.
This is the first time Kenya is changing the warnings since they were introduced in 2016.
The new warnings are a set of 13 images, some showing that using tobacco causes cancer, death, impotence and harms foetuses.
There is also a warning indicating nicotine pouches are not a safe alternative to cigarettes.
The law requires that warnings should be changed every two years to convey information on the many harms of tobacco and nicotine products.
There is evidence health warnings on tobacco packaging are among the most direct and cost-effective means of communicating the health risks of tobacco use to the public.