Members of tobacco control in Kenya at the meeting organised by NTA in Nairobi.
The civil society has condemned a dalliance between the Ministry of Health and the tobacco industry, following revelations that the ministry may have written to the BAT-Kenya asking it to sponsor a health event.
The National Taxpayers Association (NTA) and the Kenya Tobacco Control and Health Promotion (Ketca), the umbrella body for tobacco control advocacy organisations in Kenya, said this breaches Kenya’s Tobacco Control Act, 2007, and Article 5.3 of the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC), which Kenya ratified in 2004.
The letter dated May 7, 2025, appears to have been signed by Public Health Principal Secretary Mary Muthoni Muruki, inviting British American Tobacco Kenya (BAT) to partner in a national health campaign aimed at transport sector workers.
PS Muthoni has multiple times denied signing or endorsing the alleged letter, calling it a forgery.
The letter outlines plans for a presidential campaign launch on June 18, 2025, followed by health outreach in ten counties. Crucially, it asks BAT to “shape health seeking behaviour” and endorses BAT’s flagship products among vulnerable transport workers.
“We demand that the Ministry of Health must retract the PS’s letter of 7 May 2025 and issue a formal apology and public statement confirming that it will cease any form of engagement with BAT or any tobacco or nicotine company in health promotion,” NTA said in a statement that was read by representatives of all tobacco control bodies in Nairobi.
The statement added: “An independent investigation must be initiated by Parliament’s Health Committee, the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission, Auditor-General’s office, and other oversight bodies to determine whether public funds or policy were compromised, and to recommend legal and administrative sanctions as necessary.”
NTA programmes officer Anne Avonde said the law encourages the rejection of partnerships and non-binding agreements with the tobacco industry, especially those that could undermine public health policies.
The law also bans activities described as “socially responsible” by the tobacco industry, including corporate social responsibility.
“Inviting the tobacco industry to co lead public health campaigns is a direct conflict of interest and undermines our national commitment to public health and integrity,” she said.
Ketca chairman Joel Gitali during a past event organised by the National Taxpayers Alliance.
Ketca
national coordinator Thomas Lindi said the FCTC guidelines warn that any
interaction between governments and tobacco companies must be restricted to
regulatory measures, be transparent, and public records maintained.
“That did
not happen here: the alleged PS’s letter proposes BAT’s involvement in public
campaigns and fundraising, granting undue access to messaging platforms that
influence public health behaviours,” he said.
“This
reckless breach not only breaks Kenyan law and international treaty obligations
but also erodes public trust. Transport workers—long distance drivers, boda
boda riders, taxi operators—are a vital economic workforce, often exposed to
precarious conditions. Allowing BAT to influence their health messaging risks
normalising tobacco use and perpetuating addiction.”