Traders ask Senate to shelve tobacco Bill

Boniface Gachoka, secretary general of the Bars, Hotels, Liquor traders association of Kenya, (BAHLITA) during a press conference in Nairobi. [Denis Kibuchi, Standard]

Businesspeople have asked the Senate to throw out the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Bar, Hotels and Liquor Traders Association of Kenya yesterday presented a petition demanding that all stakeholders, including consumers and manufacturers, are consulted.

Secretary General Boniface Gachoka asked the Senate to protect jobs and businesses by rejecting overregulation and duplicative licensing, and instead take legislative steps to curb the growing black market.

"The petitioners wish to bring to your attention that the people's voice has not been heard in the process of formulating and progressing the Bill to its current stage in the Senate. The Bill was rushed without any meaningful consultations. Consumers, retailers, manufacturers and other critical stakeholders who stand to be significantly impacted by this Bill have been left out of the conversation. The people most affected have been ignored," he said.

The association said the black market for tobacco and nicotine products in the country was not only a preserve of cartels but also a national security issue.

"We estimate significant revenue losses of more than Sh15 billion from illegal trade in these products alone, not including the revenue losses from similar trade in other sectors such as alcoholic beverages, electronics and cosmetics. A number of provisions in the Bill will result in killing legal businesses and handing over the entire sector, particularly nicotine products to an already thriving criminal enterprise," he stated.

According to the association, the bill proposes extreme restrictions on nicotine products including limiting nicotine levels to unrealistically low levels, which will wipe out legal access to smokeless products.

"Thousands of retailers across Kenya, millions of current adult consumers of smokeless nicotine products, smokers and their families are demanding for responsible policy making," he said.