Lobby group, Campaign for Safer Alternatives has faulted the Kenya Revenue Authority for increasing tax on nicotine alternatives to cigarettes.
In a statement on Thursday, chairman Joseph Magero said the move is a blow to about 2.5 million smokers in Kenya, who have been struggling to quit.
“While other countries are moving towards a healthier, smoke-free future through their promotion of e-cigarettes and pouches as quitting devices, this sudden tax increase is pricing safer alternatives out of the reach of Kenyans,” he said.
The lobby group said this is also driving up black market demand for the products.
Casa insisted that tobacco-free nicotine products have the opportunity to reduce smoking rates in Kenya, but only if they are offered as affordable alternatives to cigarettes.
“There is clearly a demand for safer nicotine products so rather than driving smokers to buy from criminal sellers the KRA should look at how they can bring sales within the legal market.”
Casa said Kenya has some of the highest taxes for vaping products in the world, and the 4.97 per cent inflation increase on vapes and nicotine pouches will put them even further out of reach of adult smokers.
Magero added that evidence-based global research by groups such as the Royal College of Physicians and Cochrane Library shows that alternative nicotine products are about 95 per cent less harmful compared to cigarettes and are effective at helping smokers quit.