Tobacco Free Kenya

Due to ATSA's breach of contract this blog is stopped.

Explanation here.

Rachel Kitonyo, Institute for Legislative Affairs in Nairobi

This cyber-interview was first published on Rendez-vous,  October 6 2008

Rachel Kitonyo works with the Institute for Legislative Affairs-Kenya in Nairobi.

Thank you Rachel for taking the time to be with us.
May I ask you to introduce yourself by telling us a little about your personal background (education, professional experience) and when, how and why you got involved in tobacco control?

Rachel Kitonyo: I am a lawyer by profession. After graduation I worked for 1 and ½ years as a court room lawyer handling civil litigation in the areas of commercial and personal injury law before leaving practice to establish the Institute for Legislative Affairs (ILA).
I have worked for ILA for 4 years now. I have also had some experience with political parties and processes when I volunteered at the secretariat of one of the leading political parties in Kenya for one year.

Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda budgets raise cigarette taxes

This information came from the blog of Jackie Tumwine

World No Tobacco Day 2008: Pr. Peter A. Odhiambo from Kenya

Pr. Peter A. Odhiambo (right on the picture) is given the award by Dr Luis Gomes Sambo, WHO regional Director for Africa. Peter Odhiambo is a Professor of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery. He has been actively involved in tobacco control since for more than 30 years now. He is the founder member of the Kenya Cardiac Society an organization that mounted the initial advocacy for tobacco control in Kenya over 20 years ago.

Annual Taxes collected on tobacco products

It is important to know the income derived annually by the government from taxes on tobacco products as well as the percentage it represents for the global budget.
It is important to collect data for several years to be able to table an evolution.

Cigarette prices in Kenya

Have the prices changed since the publication of the Tobacco Atlas (2005)? (p.108)
Price of a pack of Marlboro (or equivalent international brand, US $ per pack)
Marlboro: 1.59 
Price of local brand: 1.06
(what local brand?)

Elements missing for the Tobacco Atlas tables

For the demographics of tobacco:
Health professionals smoking prevalence (percentage)
For the business of tobacco:
Number of cigarettes manufactured (in millions)
Tax as a proportion of cigarette price

Kenya's first FCTC Reporting Instrument

The first Reporting Instrument from Kenya submitted on April 4, 2007 (pdf format)

See below for the difficulties mentioned at the end of the report.

WHO FCTC Party Reporting Timeline

WHO FCTC list of Party Reports

Information for the Tobacco Control Scale

The information needed to establish a tobacco control scale fall in 6 categories:
1. Price of the Marlboro or equivalent
2. Smokefree regulations
3. Budget spent on public information campaigns
4. Marketing regulations (advertising and promotions bans or restrictions)
5. Health warnings regulations
6. Treatment to help quit provided

It is probable the categories need to be adapted to the African context but they provide an interesting start to position countries and determine a score on a scale that allows comparisons.