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@ilakenya.bsky.social

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Advocating for fair laws and policies that put people first 💡 Legislative Drafting | Research | Advocacy | Capacity building Let's talk Policy and Governance 📩

Tobacco continues to place a heavy burden on Kenya’s health system and economy. With 12,000 lives lost annually, the need for stronger tobacco control policies and sustained action has never been more urgent.

#TobaccoTaxSavesLivesKE #TobaccoControl #TCDI

@WHO recommends strict best-practice limits. Kenya must adopt and enforce them to protect public health

Industrially produced trans fats (iTFAs) are created through partial hydrogenation of oils and increase the risk of heart disease. The WHO recommends strict limits on iTFAs to protect consumers. Aligning Kenya’s regulations with this standard will help ensure safer, healthier food for all.
#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

Fast food, sugary drinks, and busy schedules this is the reality for many young Kenyans. But convenience shouldn’t come with hidden health risks.

Our new article breaks down why Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FoPWLs) matter, how they empower youth to make informed food choices, and why policymakers should act now.

📖 Read more: https://ilakenya.org/resources/iilapublications/whyfront-of-packwarninglabelsfopwlmatterforyoungkenyans

#FoodPolicyKE #FoodPolicyEAC

Front-of-pack warning labels are proven to help consumers make informed, healthier choices. Kenya must act now and prioritize prevention and public health over profit.

Music collaborations and trend-driven content normalize nicotine use among teens. This way, entertainment becomes a gateway. Youth become the market.

#UnmaskTheTacticsKE

The industry is infiltrating TikTok through viral challenges, soundtracks, and subtle product cameos. They know where youth spend time, and they target it aggressively.

#UnmaskTheTacticsKE

Non-communicable diseases NCDs are already impacting Kenyans, especially heart disease, driven by foods high in industrial trans fats.

We can’t wait for more preventable deaths. Kenya needs a national regulation to eliminate trans fats and protect public health.

#TransFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

From neon packaging to pocket-friendly devices, the industry knows how to capture attention. But behind the appeal is a product engineered for addiction and long-term harm.

#UnmaskTheTacticsKE

Free samples, bright colours, and trendy designs are not accidents; they are bait. The goal is simple: attract youth, mask addiction, and convert curiosity into dependence.

#UnmaskTheTacticsKE

The industry no longer needs billboards, they use lifestyle aesthetics. Travel, fashion, nightlife, fitness. Behind the curated posts lies a calculated strategy to normalize nicotine among youth. #UnmaskTheTacticsKE

#TaxJustice

IILA remains committed to advancing fiscal justice, strengthening public participation, and championing a tax system that is fair, transparent, and people-centered.

A new study shows that ultra-processed foods increase risks for heart disease, cancer, diabetes, even mental health issues, and harm almost every major organ. Kenya can’t afford to wait. Policymakers need clear, bold Front-of-Pack Warning Labels to protect consumers.

#FoodPolicyKE #FoodPolicy

Did you know that some of your everyday snacks may contain silent killers: industrially produced trans fats (iTFAs)? Kenya needs strong regulation now. Read more insights from our CEO, Celine Awuor & Project lead, Kelvin Mithamo, here: https://ilakenya.org/resources/iilapublications/whykenyaneedstoactonindustriallyproducedtransfats

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

By making it easy to spot sugary products, these labels empower Kenyans to make healthier choices. Let’s label the truth. Let’s fight diabetes together.”

We urge
@MOH_Kenya
to adopt the
@WHO
-recommended iTFA limit and safeguard our country from the health burden of Non-communicable Diseases

We call on policymakers to take action because Kenya can save thousands of lives by adopting the World Health Organisation-recommended limit.

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

According to the Tobacco Data Initiative (TCDI), increasing tobacco taxes is the most cost-effective method of reducing tobacco consumption. Tobacco drains family budgets and Kenya’s productivity.

#TobaccoControl #TCDIKenya

1/1A warning label on the front = a clearer choice for families. Kenya deserves Transparency On Our Plates. Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) make it easy to know if food is high in sugar, salt, or fat before you decide to buy.

#FoodPolicyKE #FoodPolicy

Kenya can lead East Africa by being the first to regulate industrially produced trans fats.
Ministry of Health,
The time to act is now. iTFAs fuel heart disease & NCDs that cause 40% of deaths in Kenya.

#FoodPolicyKE

These labels will help Kenyans to make informed choices about what they eat and drink because everyone deserves to know what’s in their food

FACT: Increasing tobacco and nicotine taxes actually saves lives and protects Kenyans. Higher prices discourage individuals from starting or continuing tobacco and nicotine, reducing healthcare costs and preventing chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Evidence shows that tobacco and nicotine users reduce consumption or quit entirely when taxes rise.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/d9iB8kNm

hashtag#PassTobaccoControlBillKE hashtag#TCDIKenya

MYTH : Raising tobacco and nicotine taxes hurts Kenyans and only benefits the government.

FACT: Increasing tobacco and nicotine taxes actually saves lives and protects Kenyans. Higher prices discourage individuals from starting or continuing tobacco and nicotine, reducing healthcare costs and preventing chronic illnesses like cancer, heart disease, and stroke. Evidence shows that tobacco and nicotine users reduce consumption or quit entirely when taxes rise.

Read more: https://lnkd.in/d9iB8kNm

hashtag#PassTobaccoControlBillKE hashtag#TCDIKenya

We urge the Ministry of Health, Kenya, to strengthen enforcement to protect families & communities.

#LeadOnNCDs #TobaccoTaxSavesLivesKE #TobaccoControl

#LeadOnNCDs #TobaccoTaxSavesLivesKE #TobaccoControl

Our kids are growing up surrounded by junk food with no warnings.
It’s time to protect their health by:
⚠️Adapting Front-of-pack warning labels.
🚫 Stop marketing unhealthy foods to kids.
Their future depends on it.

UNICEF just revealed something alarming in their latest report: for the first time in history, more children are obese than underweight.

#TransFatFreeKenya

#TransFatFreeKenya

FOPWL

FRONT OF PACK WARNING LABELS

Regukate ITFA

Trans fats are a silent contributor to rising heart disease in Kenya. We cannot afford to wait for a crisis to act.

A national regulation to eliminate trans fats is essential to ensuring safer food and healthier futures for every Kenyan.

Each delay in regulating trans fats increases the burden of cardiovascular disease. Prevention must come before cure. A national framework for elimination is urgent.

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

It’s time to strengthen #TobaccoControl policies, close regulatory gaps, and ensure that no Kenyan falls victim to tobacco & nicotine addiction. The time for action is now! #WNTD2025KE

Between 2014 and 2022, the prevalence of tobacco use among adults aged 15-65 years decreased from 11.6% to 8.5%. 3.For adolescents who had ever used nicotine products, 21.7% had first used e-cigarettes because the packaging “looked nice”.

#TobaccoFree254 #TobaccoExposed #WNTD2025KE

The tobacco industry is hiding behind the language of “harm reduction”. We cannot allow the same industry that denied the harms of cigarettes for decades to define the future of public health in Kenya.

We need urgent, coordinated action to protect the next generation from a resurgence of addiction disguised as “harm reduction.”

A 2025 @aphrc.bsky.social Center study found that Front-of-Pack Warning Labels (FOPWL) helped people spot unhealthy foods and make better choices.

Let’s simplify nutrition info.
Better labels. Better choices. Better health

#WorldHypertensionDay #FoodPolicyKE

According to a
@NACADAKenya
report, 8.6% of university students had used e-cigarettes and 4.6.% % had used nicotine pouches. Recent data paints a worrying picture of tobacco and nicotine use among university students in Kenya:

👉 7.2% had used cigarettes in the past month.
👉 5.8% had used e-cigarettes or vapes.
👉 4.2% had used nicotine pouches.

Protecting our youth isn’t just about public health but also protecting Kenya’s future. Urgent action is needed to stop these emerging threats.

#WNTD2025KE #TobaccoFree254 #TobaccoExposed

A
@NACADAKenya
report reveals a rise in the use of nicotine pouches and vapes among Kenya’s university students - a trend that puts a whole generation at serious risk.

#WNTD2025KE

We’re calling on Kenyan policymakers to strengthen our food safety laws and adopt WHO best practices:
i) Set iTFAs limit to 2g per 100g fat
ii) Ban partially hydrogenated oils

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

A study by IILA and The George Institute shows that if Kenya limits industrial trans fats, we could:
✅ Save 50,000 lives
✅ Prevent 100,000+ heart disease cases
✅ Save Ksh 28 billion in health costs

This is both health and economic progress.

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

Countries like Denmark, Egypt & South Africa have enforced limits on trans fats and seen real results. Fewer hospital visits. Fewer deaths. Healthier lives.
Kenya needs strong regulations to protect public health.

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

Trans fats are still in some foods we eat, hurting us. These artificial fats clog your arteries and raise your risk of heart disease. But Kenya can stop this. Here’s how…

#TransFatFreeKenya #TransFatFreeEAC

World No Tobacco Day Kenya

World No Tobacco day 2025