Kenya Ranked Among Lowest Globally in Path to Smoke-free Future

Kenya is falling behind both African peers and global leaders in the transition towards a smoke-free society, according to a new global report released ahead of World No Tobacco Day 2026.

The “Path to Smoke-Free” ranking, which assessed 101 countries on their readiness to move away from combustible tobacco products, placed Kenya at position 75 globally, highlighting major barriers in affordability and accessibility of safer nicotine alternatives such as vapes and nicotine pouches.

The report found that while Kenya has one of the world’s most progressive regulatory frameworks recognising innovative tobacco alternatives — particularly nicotine pouches — practical barriers continue to limit their impact. Kenya ranked 60th in affordability and 74th in accessibility, meaning many smokers still find safer alternatives expensive or difficult to obtain.

Researchers warned that the current excise tax regime and proposed restrictions could make smoke-free alternatives almost as costly and inaccessible as traditional cigarettes, undermining their role in tobacco harm reduction.

Compared to several African countries including Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Angola and Ghana, Kenya’s overall performance was significantly lower despite scoring highly on acceptability of alternative nicotine products.

The report comes as Kenya continues to face a major public health burden linked to smoking, with an estimated 12,000 deaths annually from smoking-related illnesses. Although adult smoking prevalence has dropped from 15 percent in 2000 to 8 percent in 2025, stakeholders argue the pace of decline remains too slow.

Harm Reduction Society of Kenya Secretary General Dr. Kariuki Michael called on policymakers to rethink taxation and access policies surrounding safer nicotine alternatives.

“For Kenya to fully unlock the public health potential of safer alternatives such as nicotine pouches, policymakers must ensure these products are genuinely more affordable and accessible than cigarettes,” said Dr. Kariuki. “This is about saving lives and accelerating Kenya’s journey towards a smoke-free society.”

Africa Consumer Advocacy Foundation (ACAF) Executive Director Anselm Maina echoed the concerns, saying recognition of safer alternatives alone is not enough.

“When less harmful alternatives remain expensive or difficult to access, adult smokers are left without practical options to move away from cigarettes,” Maina said. “If Kenya is serious about reducing smoking-related harm, policies should support smokers trying to switch rather than create more barriers.”

Stakeholders are now urging the government to adopt evidence-based harm reduction policies that balance regulation, public health protection and access to safer alternatives for adult smokers.