Campaign for Safer Alternatives (CASA) warns that the hike in excise duty on nicotine alternatives to cigarettes by the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) will deal a huge blow to Kenya’s 2.5 million smokers, many who are struggling to quit.

CASA says Kenya already boasts of some of the highest taxes for vaping products in the world, and the 4.97 per cent inflation increase on vapes and nicotine pouches will put them even further out of reach of adult smokers.

“while other countries are moving towards a healthier, smoke-free future through their promotion of e-cigarettes and pouches as quitting devices, this sudden tax increase is pricing safer alternatives out of the reach of Kenyans,” said CASA chairman Joseph Magero.

Magero said global research by groups including the Royal College of Physicians and Cochrane Library had shown that alternative nicotine products were roughly 95 per cent less harmful than cigarettes and are effective in helping smokers quit.

The Campaign believes that tobacco-free nicotine products have the opportunity to reduce smoking rates in Kenya, but only if they are offered as affordable alternatives to cigarettes.

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He also expressed concern that tax hikes would further attract the criminal underworld networks resulting in continued smuggling of illegal vapes and nicotine pouches into Kenya.

“Over the last year, we have seen a massive influx of illegal vapes and nicotine products on sale in Kenya. There is clearly a demand for safer nicotine products so rather than driving smokers to buy from criminal sellers the KRA should look at how they can bring sales within the legal market,” Magero noted.

He added, “The Government is losing out on tax. Smokers are being forced to use unregulated products or else go back to cigarettes. The only winners in this situation are the criminals who are seeing their demand levels and profit margins soar.”