Nairobi, KENYA: A number of entertainment joints are still engaging in the Shisha business despite the products ban one year ago.
This is according to a study conducted by Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance (KETCA), a non- governmental organization.
According to the study which was carried out at areas in Nairobi i.e Westlands, Parklands, Eastleigh, Lang’ata, Kasarani and Mathare Valley, only 82 percent of the 200 venues visited were found in compliance with the ban.
Parklands had the least level of compliance at 57% while the highest level was observed in Westlands at 100 percent.
Shisha smoking and/or equipment was mostly found in nightclubs (24%) and bars (20%), but was rarely observed in restaurants (5%).
In 2017, the Health ministry banned the sale of shisha in the country, a move which was upheld by the High Court on 26 July 2018.
The ban, which prohibits the importation, manufacture, advertising, sale and use of shisha in commercial establishments, saw Kenya become the third country in East Africa, after Rwanda and Tanzania, to ban the product.
The organization now recommends the need to increase surveillance of shisha in public places using a multi-sectoral approach by training the relevant enforcement agency/agencies about the shisha ban.
There is need to also conduct a public education campaign on the health risks of shisha use and secondhand shisha tobacco smoke exposure, and raise awareness about the ban.
