Former Kakamega Senator Boni Khalwale has revealed that he once found a female Member of Parliament smoking shisha hours after the government banned the smoking and sale of the drug.

The former Senator took to his official Twitter handle lauding the move by Health Cabinet Secretary Cleopa Mailu to outlaw shisha.

“Good riddance! I once upon a time found a female Kenya MP in a Malindi Hotel smoking & choking under clouds of shisha! That is how far this thing has gone,” Khalwale tweeted.

Khalwale termed the habit of smoking the drug as a vice deeply entrenched in today's Kenyan society.

The Government of Kenya through the Ministry of health on Thursday banned smoking of the water-pipe tobacco, popularly known as shisha.

Kenya now becomes the third country in Africa to ban shisha smoking after Tanzania and Rwanda banned importation and sale Shisha within their borders.

According to the Public notice issued by the government, all importation, manufacture and sale of shisha has been banned with immediate effect. Those found selling Shisha will be will be liable for punishment under section 163 of Public Health Act.

“No Person shall import, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use advertise, promote or distribute Shisha in Kenya” reads part of the Statement.

World Health Organisation (WHO), in a recent advisory note to regulators, revealed that smoking shisha posed grave health risks.

In a single session, it said, shisha smokers can inhale smoke of 100 or more cigarettes.

“Cigarette smokers typically take eight to 12 cigarettes with a 40 to 75 millimetre puffs and inhaled 0.5 to 0.6 litres of smoke unlike shisha smoking sessions which typically last 20 to 80 minutes, during which the smoker may take 50 to 200 puffs which range from about 0.15 to 1 litre each,” it said.