Kenya urged to close policy gaps on industrially produced trans fats
Health advocates in Kenya are urging the government to strengthen regulations on industrially produced trans fats to combat rising cardiovascular disease. Current policies are described as insufficient compared to World Health Organization recommendations.
Why it matters
Addressing trans fat consumption is a critical public health strategy for reducing non-communicable disease mortality in developing nations.
Samples of f ood containing trans fats /HANDOUT
The government has been urged to tighten trans-fat regulations on industrially produced trans-fat products to reduce the risk of heart disease and related deaths.
The call comes as the country marks world heart day 2026under the campaign message, "Do Not Miss a Beat" which highlights the importance of recognising cardiovascular disease risks and symptoms.
“Adopting strong regulations to eliminate industrially produced trans fats would be an important step towards protecting the health of Kenyans," Kelvin Mithamo, Programme Officer, International Institute for Legislative Affairs said.
"Kenya has already recognised the risks, and now we need to close the policy gap and ensure that stronger protections are in place.”
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