The State Department of Public Health and Professional Standards and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) have teamed up to improve public health in Kenya through the regulation of tobacco use.
Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni on Tuesday said the partnership focuses on several key initiatives designed to enhance regulatory processes and ensure efficient resource allocation.
Muthoni said one major initiative is the streamlined collection of solatium compensatory funds by KRA from importers and manufacturers of tobacco products, as outlined in the Tobacco Control Act.
"This effort aims to ensure that the funds are collected efficiently and utilised to support public health initiatives," the PS said.
Muthoni said in a bid to improve efficiency at various ports of entry, a multi-agency team will be established to handle the clearance of tobacco products.
She said the collaborative approach is expected to expedite the clearance process and enhance regulatory oversight.
"The partnership also includes the designation of special ports for novel nicotine and emerging tobacco products to improve control and monitoring," Muthoni said.
The PS said the designation of special ports will facilitate better management of such products entering the country.
Additionally, Muthoni said there will be an increase in the surveillance, compliance, and enforcement of illicit tobacco products in the market.
"These enhanced efforts aim to curb the distribution and sale of illegal tobacco products, thereby protecting public health," Muthoni said.
She said enhancing laboratory testing capabilities for novel nicotine and other emerging tobacco products is another critical aspect of the collaboration.
"Improved testing will ensure these products meet safety standards and are properly regulated," Muthoni said.
This comes amidst plans by the Ministry of Health to impose new regulations on graphic warnings on nicotine and tobacco products.
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 for such warnings to be effective, they should be changed frequently.
There is evidence graphic health warnings on tobacco products are cost-effective and actually discourage users.
But the warnings on the highly addictive nicotine products are bitterly opposed by the multibillion-shilling tobacco industry, which is hanging on them as its lifeline.