The government has banned all imports of tobacco products, according to Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
Duale, who revealed this as he appeared before the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation on Wednesday, July 30, asserted that the ban was aimed at reducing the availability of the product, which has raised significant health concerns in the country and globally. According to Duale, despite resistance from stakeholders within the sector, the ministry will not backstep in its crackdown on suppliers of tobacco and other nicotine-related products, such as Shisha, which are making their way into the country unlawfully, especially from countries such as China. "Tobacco products have been flooding our markets, frustrating government efforts to curb their misuse.
This is why we decided to ban imports," Duale said.
A cargo plane being loaded Photo Cargowise "The weakest link in our crackdown, especially on products like shisha, remains corruption within enforcement agencies," Duale said.
