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"id": 234595,
"url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/234595/?format=api",
"text_counter": 190,
"type": "speech",
"speaker_name": "Dr. Kibunguchy",
"speaker_title": "The Assistant Minister for Health",
"speaker": {
"id": 294,
"legal_name": "Enoch Wamalwa Kibunguchy",
"slug": "enoch-kibunguchy"
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"content": "Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, tobacco kills about five million people every year worldwide. That is to say that we lose 570 people per hour or that ten people die every minute as a result of the use and exposure to tobacco. If we do not reverse this trend, tobacco will kill 10 million people annually by the year 2030. This is twice the number that we are currently losing needlessly. That is worldwide. 3716 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 15, 2006 Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the problem with Kenya is increasing tobacco use and with it, increasing health, environmental and societal costs. The facts as they stand today are as follows and this relates to Kenya: 13 per cent of our primary school children smoke. This translates to about one million children below the age of 15 years already imprisoned in the jail of nicotine. They have embarked on a career whose reward is illness, disease, disability and death. These children need our protection. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the rate at which young girls are taking up this habit is now almost the same as that of boys. This means that the number of women smoking will increase exponentially and with it, some very unpleasant negative health effects including unintended abortions, infertility, giving birth to underweight and still-born babies. This is the reality of tobacco use to our reproductive health. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, 42 per cent of students in secondary schools and colleges smoke. To make matters worse, one out of every five girls, that is 20 per cent in this group smoke and 57 per cent of students in our universities smoke and yet these are the young men and women who shortly will form the backbone of Kenya's leadership in different professional fields. The future of this nation is in very shaky hands. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, however, the good news is that the majority of Kenyans do not smoke. In fact, it is only 3 per cent of women who smoke and 39 per cent of men who smoke. In general then, 22 per cent of people living in Kenya smoke tobacco. Unfortunately, they are smoking just over 7 billion sticks of cigarettes that are sold in this country annually. The health costs related to treating illnesses and diseases caused by exposure to tobacco are increasing every year as the number of smoking people in Kenya increases. The health sector, both public and private, spends over Kshs18 billion annually treating these diseases. Hon. Members, this is only the cost of treatment. We have not yet factored in the cost of absenteeism from work, the cost of looking after the sick by the relatives and friends, social support, missed opportunities and other long-term effects. It does not include the environmental cost including fires caused by cigarette butts, cutting down of trees to cure tobacco, pollution of water sources by the chemical used in the tobacco farming especially at the nurseries, damage to the soil and infertility of the soil after planting of tobacco and the effect that the smoke from curing has on the air around the tobacco farms. It does not include the damage caused to the future of our children that are being pulled out of schools to tend to the tobacco plants and the curing process. It certainly does not include the costs of the new Ministry of Health initiative; to set up clinics that will help current smokers quit the habit. As you can see, the cost of sustaining this habit is huge. This has in effect led to greater poverty levels in tobacco growing areas. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, the Government has acknowledged that tobacco use and exposure to tobacco smoke is extremely injurious to the health of both smokers and non- smokers and, therefore, warrants taking protective measures to public health. To this end, we have taken the following measures:- (i) We have established the National Tobacco Free Initiative Committee to spearhead advocacy and share with the Kenyan public, pertinent issues related to the effects of tobacco on the society. The Secretariat is housed at Afya House. (ii) The Head of the Public Service and Secretary to the Cabinet banned smoking in all Government facilities in the year 2002. (iii) We are all familiar with the work of the National Agency for the Campaign Against Drug Abuse (NACADA). (iv) In June, 2004, we signed and ratified the FCTC, which is the first global public health treaty. The Government is committed to meeting its obligations under this treaty. November 15, 2006 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES 3717 (v) Tax on tobacco products has continued to increase as this is a proven way of reducing access of the products by young people, while increasing Government revenue. We are looking forward to another increase in the forthcoming Budget. (vi) The Minister for Health signed a Legal Notice banning smoking in public places and strengthening regulations of advertisement of tobacco products. The Government has shown good leadership in addressing the tobacco problems. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, these actions by the Government are not adequate to address the health, economic and social problems that are brought about by smoking and exposure to tobacco. Indeed, our obligation as a country to the health of our citizens is now to the FCTC. It means that we must do more. It has now become necessary to establish a comprehensive legal framework, which will provide a solid basis for effective control of tobacco and its products in Kenya. The Tobacco Control Bill is such a vehicle. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, this Bill has been in the House since the year 2000, and has been lapsing after every Session. It is due to those lapses that we now have two Tobacco Control Bills in the House: One by the Minister for Health and another one by my friend, Mr. Sungu. However, as we all know, Government Bills take precedence over Private Members' Bills. That is why I am initiating debate on the Government Bill. Nevertheless, I would like to inform the House that we have worked very closely with Mr. Sungu, and that some of the amendments we intend to bring at the Committee Stage contain a lot of his input. This Bill was read the First Time here and committed to the Departmental Committee on Health, Housing, Labour and Social Welfare, which discussed it with other stakeholders. The Ministry has also held wide consultations with stakeholders, and we appreciate some of the proposed amendments that will subsequently be incorporated into this Bill. We have the responsibility of protecting the health and wealth of this nation. This Bill has been in this House for too long and I call upon hon. Members to give it the attention it deserves. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, tobacco comes in many forms, shapes and colours. All these forms are harmful to the health of human beings. Tobacco kills over five million people every year worldwide, comprising of both smokers and non-smokers. Let us protect our children and place public health above individual and private profit. I look forward to hon. Members making informed contributions to this Bill and eventually passing it. This Bill raises pertinent issues that must be addressed with sobriety and a clear mind. The House is being asked to walk a tightrope. On the one hand, we have a vibrant tobacco industry that gives livelihood to thousands of Kenyans, right from the tobacco farmer through to the manufacturer, wholesaler and retailer. Of course, the tobacco industry gives a cheque to the Exchequer every year. On the other hand, we must be alive to the many health hazards associated with tobacco and tobacco products. The House must be alive to these two sides of the same coin and find a delicate balance. I implore fellow Members of Parliament to walk the tightrope as we consider various amendments to this Bill. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, two very critical issues have been raised in this Bill: The issue of secondary or passive or involuntary smokers, who comprise people who do not smoke but other people in their neighbourhood force them to smoke. We are saying that we must protect those people. The second issue is that of smoking by our very young boys and girls. This is a vulnerable lot of people who can be manipulated easily. They live in a world that has been described as \"bling bling\". Sometimes, some of the advertisements that we see on our television screens and read in the newspapers resonate very well with this bling bling life. Again, we are saying that these young people must be protected. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, it must be very clear to hon. Members that this Bill 3718 PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES November 15, 2006 does not seek to ban smoking but to protect non-smokers as well as the young and vulnerable people in society. Further, the Bill seeks to compel dealers in tobacco and tobacco products to responsibly advertise their products. In the long-run, we must change the culture and the ways of our people with regard to tobacco use. We envisage to develop in smokers a culture of responsibility, such that before one lights a cigarette, ones looks around to see who is around. We hope that in future, one will be alive to the fact that his children are present as he thinks about lighting a cigarette, and that his wife could be pregnant. We intend to change the way Kenyans view all the aspects of smoking tobacco and tobacco products. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, as I conclude, Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I said earlier that the Bill seeks to provide for a comprehensive legal framework to regulate the manufacture, sale, labelling and advertisement of tobacco. It will establish a Tobacco Products Regulatory Board. It prohibits the supply or sale of tobacco products to the very young in public places. It also makes it mandatory to manufacturers, retailers of specified tobacco products to label the products with such information as may be specified by regulation. Mr. Temporary Deputy Speaker, Sir, I beg to move. I would like to ask hon. Wetangula to second this Bill. Thank you."
}