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On July 30, 2025, the Ministry of Health announced a blanket ban on the importation of all tobacco and nicotine products into Kenya.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale made the declaration before the National Assembly Committee on Delegated Legislation, citing urgent public-health and regulatory concerns.
Tobacco products have been flooding our markets, frustrating government efforts to curb their misuse. This is why we decided to ban imports.
Scope of the ban
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The ban covers every form of tobacco and nicotine product, including manufactured cigarettes, cigars, shisha, gutkha, flavoured e-cigarettes and pouches.
This ban follows the May 31, 2025 order that froze all existing licences for the manufacture, importation, distribution, sale and promotion of tobacco and nicotine products, with vendors given 21 days to reapply under stricter compliance requirements.
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Government rationale
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale
Protecting young people- CS Duale emphasised that cheaply imported products, particularly from China have made tobacco more accessible to minors.
Public-health imperative- Kenya records thousands of tobacco-related deaths annually. To reinforce awareness, the Ministry is finalising the Graphic Health Warnings for Tobacco Products Regulations, 2025, mandating more prominent pictorial warnings on every pack.
Cracking down on corruption. Duale warned that illicit shipments, some found laced with narcotics, have been let through by corrupt officials. He cited recent seizures of containers bearing drug-contaminated tobacco.
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Implementation steps
Afya House which hosts the Ministry of Health in Nairobi
Existing importers and distributors must submit fresh licence applications under the Tobacco Control Act (2007).
Vendors who miss the 21-day reapplication deadline risk permanent revocation of their licences.
The Ministry of Health will coordinate joint inspection teams, drawing on county public-health officers, Kenya Revenue Authority customs officials, Kenya Bureau of Standards inspectors, Port Health Services and Immigration, to enforce the import ban at all major land, sea and air entry points.
Health officers stationed at land crossings, seaports and airports will detain and seize any consignments lacking valid licences.
Suspect shipments will be referred for forensic and narcotics screening.
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Responses from stakeholders
Parliamentarians voiced backing for the ban.
File image of the Kenyan Parliament in session
Samuel Chepkong’a, Chair of the Committee on Delegated Legislation, affirmed that the measure enjoys "full parliamentary support,” stressing that public health must take precedence over commercial gains.
Civil-society organisations also welcomed the move. Groups focused on youth protection and health advocacy praised the ban as a critical step toward reducing tobacco uptake among adolescents, and urged swift implementation of the new warning-label regulations.
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Small-scale traders, many of whom depend on imported products, warn of potential supply shortages and call for expedited licence processing to minimise business disruption.
The import ban marks the most far-reaching supply-side intervention in Kenya’s tobacco-control history.
Its impact will depend on swift license approvals for compliant operators, rigorous interdiction of illicit trade, and ongoing public-health education.