Smoking of ‘shisha’ banned in Kenya

Nairobi. Kenya has banned with immediate effect the smoking of water-pipe tobacco, commonly known as shisha.

The country becomes the third in the region, after Tanzania and Rwanda, to impose a ban on shisha smoking in a span of less than two years.

Other countries with similar practices include Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Singapore, Jordan and Pakistan.

The importation, manufacture, sale or distribution of shisha has also been prohibited, through a legal notice by Health Secretary Cleopa Mailu. “No person shall allow, promote, facilitate or encourage or do anything to allow, promote, facilitate or encourage shisha in Kenya,” according to the new regulations to control shisha smoking.

“Any person who contravenes any provisions of these rules [Control of Smoking Shisha Rules, 2017] may, where a penalty has not been expressly provided for under any provision of the Act, be liable to the penalty contemplated under Section 163 of the [Public Health] Act,” says the Special Kenya Gazette notice.