Residents from Nairobi's Eastleigh have differed over the Ministry of Health ban on shisha smoking in the country.
Speaking during a stakeholders forum at Nomad Palace Hotel on Monday, the residents argued that even though the ban touches on the health aspect it was done in bad faith.
On July 27, 2018, the court upheld the ban on the sale and use of shisha but gave the ministry nine months to follow the right procedure.
The nine-month period is expected to elapse in April this year.
“Shisha and cigarettes are all tobacco products hence the ban should be effected without discrimination. Stop singling out shisha,” resident Shamir said.
“There is a misconception about shisha. Shisha has no secondary smoke and has only 0.01 tar so it is less harmful than cigarettes," he added.
They are now calling on the ministry to ban all tobacco products and not just shisha alone.
But Sheikh Ismael Hajji Ahmed Komor said the sale and use of shisha will not be tolerated in Kamukunji.
“We don’t want shisha in Kamukunji. It has caused much havoc and we will cooperate with enforcement officers to effect the ban to the letter,” Komor said.
Nacada director Vincent Muasya, popularly known as Chipukeezy, said the backdoor sell of shisha has been a challenge and has affected young people especially girls aged between 18 and 20.
“We need to put more education out so that people know what they are consuming," Muasya said.
Shisha smokers suffered a major blow on December 28, 2017, when the then Health CS Cleopa Mailu banned it.
He said its consumption had encouraged the peddling of hard drugs.