NACADA raids another lounge in crackdown on shisha trade

Some of the Shisha Seized by NACADA when they raided Pulse Lounge along Langata road Nairobi on March 5,2025.Two suspects were arrested. [Benard Orwongo, Standard]

The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) raided Pulse Lounge on Wednesday night, as part of its ongoing crackdown on the illegal shisha trade.

The operation, led by NACADA’s Director of Compliance and Enforcement, James Koskei, resulted in the confiscation of shisha paraphernalia and the arrest of two suspects.

“We are here this evening to carry out a crackdown on shisha. As we all know, the Kenyan courts gave us a green light to enforce the crackdown since shisha has been banned,” said Koskei. 

Shisha was outlawed under Gazette Notice No. 292 of 2017, which prohibits its manufacture, importation, sale, and use. The Court of Appeal recently upheld the ban, allowing NACADA to intensify enforcement.

“The courts have given us the authority to enforce this rule, and we are here at this particular facility today to do exactly that,” he added. 

During the raid, NACADA officers seized about 16 shisha bongs, 11 charcoal boxes, and 105 packets of assorted shisha flavors, whose ingredients remain unknown. Koskei said the two suspects would face legal action.

“We are going to subject them to the law. Investigations will begin, and our goal remains clear, to eliminate the sale, manufacture, and importation of shisha in our country,” he said.
He added that enforcement efforts would extend beyond Nairobi.

“The law is universal and applies across the country. We, together with other government agencies, will work to ensure that the shisha ban is implemented to the letter,” he stated.

Addressing previous raids, he confirmed that investigations were ongoing and that suspects arrested last week had been booked and would be arraigned soon.