• The World Health Organisation announced Kenya has become the 59th country to sign the Illicit Trade Protocol, enabling cross-border help to combat the trade.
• The government and concerned stakeholders urged to remain vigilant and committed in the next phase of implementing and enforcing the Protocol.
Image: FILE
Kenya has finally signed a treaty to help the country control smuggling of cigarettes more effectively and arrest criminals even outside its borders.
Illicit trade on tobacco products remains a problem in Kenya despite the country installing an effective trace and track system more than 10 years ago.
Yesterday, the World Health Organisation announced Kenya has become the 59th country to sign the Illicit Trade Protocol, which now enables cross-border help to combat the trade.
"I welcome the significant step by Kenya on officially becoming a party to the protocol," said Adriana Blanco Marquizo, head of the WHO's Framework Convention on Tobacco Control, who are custodians of the protocol.
The ITP, itself a treaty, aims to be a coordinated international response to the problem of the illicit tobacco trade.
With the protocol in place, Kenya now has grounds to enact stronger policy and laws to control illicit trade in tobacco products.
The protocol seeks to eliminate all forms of illicit trade in tobacco products in line with Article 15 of the WHO’s Framework Convention on Tobacco Control by establishing a range of measures.
Institute for Legislative Affairs, a Nairobi-based legal think tank involved in tobacco control, congratulated the government.
Image: COURTESY
"We now urge the government and concerned stakeholders to remain vigilant and committed in the next phase of implementing and enforcing the Protocol," said Emma Wanyonyi, the CEO of IILA.
The protocol sets a deadline of five years from the entry date of the protocol (2023), for a cigarette tracking and tracing system to be established by each party to the protocol, with the deadline being 10 years for other tobacco products.
Kenya installed the system for cigarettes tracking in the early 2000s.
"As a global leader on goods track and trace system through the Electronics Goods Management System administered by the Kenya Revenue Authority, Kenya brings on board a wealth of knowledge and expertise that we believe will enrich the global discussions in this area," Wanyonyi added.
Due to the “irreconcilable conflict” between tobacco industry interests and public health interests, the ITP states that parties must not delegate any of their tracking and tracing obligations to the tobacco industry.
Illicit trade in tobacco products is about 14 per cent in Kenya. “Illicit trade poses a serious threat to public health because it increases access to – often cheaper – tobacco products, thus fuelling the tobacco epidemic,” the WHO says.
Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance, an umbrella body for tobacco control groups in the country, also commended the government.
"Indeed, this is a strong statement reaffirming the government’s commitment to the fight against illicit trade in tobacco products and largely, the fight against tobacco in the country," Ketca chairman Joel Gitali said.
Image: TRIZZA KIMANI
He urged the government to be careful, noting that tobacco manufacturers are also involved in cigarette smuggling.
Gitali further urged the state to delist tobacco as an essential product to be sold during the Covid-19 lockdown.
"Health experts globally are warning that smoking worsens the effects of Covid-19. It is, however, regrettable that tobacco products are regarded as essential products in Kenya," he said.
Tobacco use is a major health crisis and is responsible for the deaths of about 30,000 Kenyans every year, according to the Ministry of Health.
Thousands other tobacco users develop noncommunicable diseases every year, according to the ministry.
(Edited by F'Orieny)