The administration has renewed the implementation of the ban after becoming aware of the growing use of the illegal Shisha (Hookah) products in several of Nairobi County’s nightclubs and bars.
In a letter dated January 13 and signed by the County Public Health Chief Officer Tom Michira Nyakaba, the Head of the Tobacco Control Unit was instructed to coordinate with the pertinent departments in order to ensure compliance with the Public Health Act, Cap 242 and the applicable tobacco control laws.
You are hereby instructed to take the necessary enforcement action as anticipated under the Public Health Act, Cap 242 and the relevant tobacco control laws, Mr. Michira said. “In lieu of the correspondence from Office of The Clerk, County Assembly Ref: NCCA/SC4ISC/CORR/2022/03 (copy attached) to the County Secretary, and onward transmission to this office,” he added.
Currently, it is prohibited to buy, use, import, or smoke shisha in the nation.
Shisha advertising, marketing, distribution, and encouraging or enabling its usage were all outlawed in Kenya in 2017.
The government stated at the introduction of the ban on December 27, 2017, “Any person who contravenes any provision of these rules may, where a penalty has not been specifically provided for under any provision of the Act, be liable to the penalty contemplated under section 163 of the Act.”
Additionally, the material is readily available through internet platforms and costs between Sh4,000 and Sh9,000, depending on the kind.
The charcoal used to heat tobacco can increase health hazards by creating significant amounts of carbon monoxide, metals, and cancer-causing compounds, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The tobacco juices from hookahs irritate the mouth and raise the chance of getting oral cancer, according to the CDC, and the smoke from hookahs contains high levels of these hazardous compounds even after it has been through water.
