In Kenya, bar and entertainment venue operators, represented by the Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (Perak), are challenging Parliament’s handling of the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024. They argue their industry’s interests are being overlooked in the legislative process. Perak has formally requested the National Assembly’s Health Committee to suspend its current public consultation, which is limited to Nairobi, and expand it nationwide to include more affected stakeholders.
The Bill, sponsored by nominated Senator Catherine Mumma, seeks to overhaul the Tobacco Control Act, 2007, and proposes stricter regulation of the production, sale, advertisement, and use of nicotine products, including vapes and oral nicotine pouches. Having passed the Senate, it now awaits National Assembly concurrence.
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Perak argues that the committee’s consultation is confined to Nairobi and a select few, and cannot amount to a reasonable opportunity for the country to be heard. They want more consultation, but their members are also opposed to the substance of several provisions, warning that the changes could raise business costs and fuel illicit trade in tobacco products.
The demand for wider hearings is driven by self-interest, as pubs and entertainment venues are frontline retailers of tobacco and nicotine products. Any tightening of sale, display, advertising, or licensing rules would directly impact their revenue lines. Similar concerns surfaced when the Bill was before the Senate last year, with traders in retail and entertainment urging broader stakeholder consultation. The association’s concerns are centered on the potential impact of the Bill on their businesses.
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