Nicotine pouches are back in the Kenyan market under the brand name ‘Velo’ less than two years after the government banned the product.
According to a new report, the Kenyan market is now jumbled up with nicotine pouches despite the Ministry of Health’s public health directive and violation of the Tobacco Control Act.
Titled: Assessment Report on the Tobacco Industry Interference with the Regulation of Novel Tobacco Products in Kenya, the study couldn’t quantify the magnitude of these products in the market. However, it notes that since it is a public health issue, the law enforcement agencies should move swiftly and address the matter.
The report recommends improved enforcement of bans or regulatory mechanisms by the relevant regulators.
“It has been noted that there has been a rise in availability of pouches in the market via the brand name Velo which despite noncompliance with the ministry’s directive has been found to be sold,” states the report.
Late last year, after the ban, British American Tobacco (BAT) Chief Executive Officer Crispin Achola told The Informer that it has since discontinued the supply of the controversial commodity.
He disassociated the firm from the poisonous tobacco-free modern oral nicotine pouch being sold in the Kenyan market.
However, our investigations established that BAT is planning to re-introduce the same product under different name.
“Yes, the product has been rebranded already and process is underway to have it licensed by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board,” our source confirmed.
“BAT Kenya has not supplied the market with ‘Lyft’ since October 2020, nor is it currently supplying any other oral nicotine products. At the beginning of 2021, the Ministry of Health took the decision to regulate oral nicotine products under the Tobacco Control Act,” Achola told The Informer in an earlier correspondence.
In October 2020, Health Cabinet Secretary Mutahi Kagwe revoked the licence issued to BAT by the Pharmacy and Poisons Board allowing the of nicotine pouches, sold under the brand name ‘LYFT’ noting that it was done contrary to the provisions of Section 25 of the Pharmacy and Poisons Act CAP 244.
However, in the same year, BAT announced it was launching a new plant at an estimated cost of Sh2.5 billion, to start the production of nicotine pouches in Kenya.
The plan was to trade under the Lyft brand and target the African market.
Less than two years later, following incessant lobbying by BAT and a number of tobacco harm reduction experts, nicotine pouches are back.
