Kenya is set to tighten its tobacco control laws following a high-level meeting between Health Cabinet Secretary Hon. Aden Duale and a World Health Organization (WHO) delegation led by Dr. Abdourahmane Diallo, WHO Country Representative.
Held at Afya House, the bilateral talks focused on fast-tracking amendments to the Tobacco Control Bill and aligning Kenya’s regulations with evolving global standards.
The proposed reforms aim to enhance oversight of tobacco production, marketing, and consumption.
WHO pledged support in strengthening national laboratory capacity for product verification and called attention to the transition of over 9,000 farmers from tobacco to healthier alternative crops like high-iron beans.
CS Duale reaffirmed Kenya’s commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), citing the need to expand county-level enforcement, improve cessation services, and integrate tobacco control into the country’s digital health agenda.
The meeting was also attended by Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni, Director General Dr. Patrick Amoth, Dr. Vinayak Prasad, and other senior officials from both sides.
