It's been 10-years since the enactment of Tobacco Control Act (TCA2007) with very little to show owing to inaction from people charged with the responsibilities of implementing and enforcing the law.

Annually, over 6,000 deaths are directly attributed to tobacco use or involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke in Kenya. Additionally, over 200,000 children get exposed to tobacco use daily in the country with majority of primary school going children being accessible to cigarettes. While the Ministry of Health watches, Tobacco Companies have taken advantage of the lack of implementation and enforcement of the tobacco law and have continued to advertise and promote their deadly products, and sponsoring events contrary to the tobacco control law.

If the inaction by the Ministry of Health is allowed to continue, the disease burden weighed on low and Middle income earners will skyrocket due to involuntary exposure to tobacco smoke. Equally, the number of school going children will pick up the habit will increase. On the other hand, Tobacco companies such as BAT & Mastermind Tobacco will continue making abnormal profits at the expense of majority of Kenyans' health.

We are counting on your support in calling upon the Ministry of Health to do their job of implementing the law to avert deaths resulting from the deadly tobacco use.