By M, KNA
The Bar, Hotels and Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA) together with members of the business community in Nairobi County under the banner of business focus have protested over Tobacco Amendment Bill 2024 due to lack of public participation.
A section of bar owners, university students, and political leaders have staged protests in Nairobi rejecting the Tobacco Amendment Bill 2024, arguing that it is being pushed through Parliament without adequate public participation and will harm small-scale traders.
The demonstrations, led by the Bar, Hotels and Liquor Traders Association (BAHLITA) and the retail trade association of Kenya (RETRAK), attracted traders from across the city who chanted the slogan ‘Reject the Bill’ while urging lawmakers to reconsider the proposed amendments.
Addressing the media, BAHLITA Secretary General (SG) Boniface Gachoka noted that the bill, if passed in its current form, will ban tobacco flavours, a move he argued could push consumers back to traditional cigarettes and fuel the illicit market.
“We have come here to oppose the Tobacco Amendment Bill 2024. Once it bans flavours, many people will go back to tobacco. We are telling the government to please listen to the ground and listen to the consumers,” he appealed.
Additionally, Gachoka insisted that the process has sidelined the public despite its direct impact on the livelihoods of thousands of traders.
“The bill has already gone through the first and second readings without proper public participation. The Senate is a protector of the counties and therefore a three-hour meeting cannot be called public participation. That is why we are rejecting this bill,” asserted the SG.
He also warned that the country is already grappling with a high prevalence of illegal tobacco products citing the market today where 45 percent of tobacco products are illicit.
“By pushing a law that ignores public opinion, you are only creating room for more illicit trade. We appreciate control, but we want control with reason, not proposals that disregard retailers,” stated Gachoka, adding that BHALITA represents over 54,000 retailers across the country.
Further, the SG also raised concerns about the wording of the proposed law, calling for clarity in defining products.
“There is a big difference between tobacco, cigarettes, and nicotine patches. We want proper definitions of terminology before this law is passed,” he demanded.
Nevertheless, Gachoka stressed that protesters are not opposed to regulation but want the government to adopt a harm-reduction approach that distinguishes between tobacco control and safer alternatives.
“By embracing tobacco harm reduction, we can reduce the health risks associated with tobacco while protecting livelihoods,” he advised, calling on the government to consider alternatives such as nicotine patches and other reduced-harm products instead of banning them outright.
Meanwhile, most of the demonstrators reiterated that the bill threatens the livelihoods of families and welfare of citizens who depend on small-scale businesses more so, the retail trade of tobacco products.
While presenting the petition rejecting the Tobacco Amendment Bill, the protestors recalled that last Tobacco Act was amended in 2007 insisting that they are presently against county legislation that brings tariffs, taxes, and costly permits to small-scale traders
Similarly, the demonstrators called on senators to re-open the amendment process and engage stakeholders before making changes to the law.
They also said that a meaningful dialogue is the only way to strike a balance between public health goals and the economic realities of traders.