The World Health Organisation (WHO) is set to enhance tobacco regulations in the country to reinforce regulatory oversight and protect public health.

This follows a bilateral meeting between Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale and the WHO delegation led by Abdourahmane Diallo, its country representative and chief of mission, in Nairobi.

The meeting focused on strengthening Kenya’s response to the growing public health threat posed by tobacco use, with a particular emphasis on advancing Kenya’s tobacco control efforts and aligning national regulations with emerging global standards.

In a statement on Tuesday, June 10, 2025, the Ministry of Health revealed WHO is committed to strengthening the national laboratory capacity for independent verification 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,” read the statement in part.

Further, the ministry revealed that the discussions centered 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.”

Speaking during the meeting, Duale called for collaboration in scaling enforcement at the 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.

 During the bilateral meeting, CS Duale was joined by the Principal Secretary for Public Health and Professional Standards, Mary Muthoni; the Director-General for Health, Patrick Amoth; Vinayak Prasad, and senior officials from both the Ministry of Health and the WHO.

The CS also 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.

The Tobacco Amendment bill

This comes as the Kenyan lawmakers seek to update the 2007 Tobacco Control Act to account for new nicotine products.

Established to control the manufacture, production, labelling, sale, sponsorship, and promotion of tobacco products, the 2007 legislation did not anticipate nicotine products such as e-cigarettes and pouches. Its most recent amendment dates from 2009.

The currently proposed amendment, tabled by Senator Catherine Mumma, will extend the Tobacco Control Act’s provisions to electronic nicotine-delivery systems, their refill containers, and nicotine pouches. 

It also seeks to control the advertisement of electronic nicotine-delivery systems and modern oral products. 

In addition, the amendment will require manufacturers to secure approval from the Cabinet Secretary for Health for the manufacture, importation, distribution, storage or sale of nicotine products.