The Tobacco Control Alliance on Sunday welcomed the appointment of members of the Tobacco Control Board.
On Friday, Health CS Sicily Kariuki appointed Wilfred Lesan as chairman.
In a Gazette notice, she also named Somba Kivingu, John Musau, Nancy Gachoka, Lilian Mbevi, Rogers Mulemi and Caroline Wanjiku as members. They will serve for three years. The appointments took effect immediately.
The lobby had written to the CS over the issue last week.
In the letter dated April 28, chairman Joel Gitali accused the government of going slow on its mandate to ensure international and domestic tobacco policies were implemented.
“They include laxity in inaugurating the Tobacco Control Board, failure to set up a Tobacco Control Fund, regularisation and enforcement of the shisha ban, and poor coordination of Tobacco Control at MoH,” Gitali said.
He cited a rise in the violation of tobacco control policies by companies, vendors and consumers and blamed it on inadequate enforcement.
“Some shisha parlours were associated with powerful people and could not be touched. There is reluctance by rehabilitation centres and services to include tobacco addiction,” the letter read.
Gitali accused rehabs of allowing patients to smoke as they are aided to stop abusing alcohol and other drugs. There are no established ways of helping those who want to quit smoking, he said.
On Sunday, Gitali said the country cannot achieve Vision 2030, SDGs or the Big 4 agenda without proper tobacco control, which, he said, touches on development.
He wants tobacco control and cessation programmes established and enforced in universities.
Also appointed by the CS were former Siaya governor candidate Nicholas Gumbo to chair the Kenyatta National Hospital Board and Richard Thuo and Peris Onsarigo as KNH board members.
The CS further revoked the appointment of George Magoha as chairperson of the Board of the Medical Practitioners and Dentists Board and appointed Eva Njenga in his place.
Angeline Siparo was appointed nonexecutive chairperson of the National AIDS Control Council and Robert Ngolo as a council member.
Melissa Ngania, Tusmo Jama, Peter Gathirimu, Justus Toroinet Somoire, Mary Njeri Ndonga and Abdulahi Diriye are new members of the HIV and AIDS Tribunal.
Fredrick Wamwaki was co-opted onto the Board of the Kenya Medical Training College as a member.
(Edited by F'Orieny)
