Bar owners push for fresh talks on Tobacco laws amid cost concerns
Bar owners in Kenya are lobbying Parliament to halt public participation on the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024. They argue the proposed regulations, including mandatory county licensing and strict distance requirements, will increase business costs and fuel illicit trade.
Why it matters
The conflict highlights the tension between public health regulation and the economic viability of small businesses in emerging markets.
Bar owners want Parliament to stop the ongoing public participation exercise on the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024, and expand it beyond Nairobi, even as they oppose several provisions they say could raise the cost of business and fuel illicit trade.
The Pubs, Entertainment and Restaurants Association of Kenya (Perak), a lobby, said the Departmental Committee on Health is conducting a targeted and limited public participation exercise that excludes many businesses and Kenyans who would be affected by the proposed law.
“A public participation exercise limited to Nairobi and to a select few cannot be said to have accorded the people of Kenya a reasonable opportunity to be heard,” Perak said in a petition to the committee.
The proposed law would introduce several new restrictions, including mandatory licensing by county governments for dealers in tobacco and nicotine products.
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