Kenya Deepens Collaboration with WHO to Advance Tobacco Control Reforms
𝐍𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐢, 𝐊𝐞𝐧𝐲𝐚 - 𝟏𝟎𝐭𝐡 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟓
In a strategic move to strengthen Kenya’s response to the growing public health threat posed by tobacco use, Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale
held a bilateral meeting with the World Health Organization (WHO) delegation led by Dr Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Country Representative and Chief of Mission, Kenya. The meeting, held at Afya House in Nairobi, focused on advancing Kenya’s tobacco control efforts and aligning national regulations with emerging global standards.
Discussions centred on mechanisms to fast-track the proposed amendments to the Tobacco Control Bill. These amendments aim to modernise Kenya’s legal framework to more effectively govern the production, sale, advertising, and consumption of tobacco products.
WHO also committed to supporting the strengthening of national laboratory capacity for independent verification of tobacco products — a key measure in reinforcing regulatory oversight and protecting public health.
Hon. Duale briefed the delegation on Kenya’s progress in tobacco control and sought WHO’s technical support in initiating a structured review of the Tobacco Control Act (2007) and its Regulations. He further called for collaboration in scaling enforcement at county level through updated inspection protocols, local capacity building, enhanced cessation services, and integration of tobacco control into the Ministry’s expanding digital health superhighway.
WHO reaffirmed its support for Kenya’s tobacco control priorities, highlighting the successful transition of over 9,000 farmers from tobacco to alternative crops such as high-iron beans — a shift aligned with sustainable health and economic development goals.
The Cabinet Secretary reaffirmed Kenya’s unwavering commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), underscoring the government’s constitutional responsibility to safeguard the right to the highest attainable standard of health.
Hon. Duale was joined by Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Ms Mary Muthoni, Director General for Health, Dr Patrick Amoth, Dr Vinayak Prasad, and senior officials from both the Ministry of Health and WHO.