A Nairobi resident wants cigarettes smoking to be banned in Kenya. In a suit filed at the High Court, one Ibrahim Mohamud Ibrahim has faulted the government for allowing production, manufacturing, distribution, management, dissemination and consumption of tobacco in the country regardless of its effects on health. Mr Ibrahim has sued the Ministry of Health, its Cabinet Secretary Sicily Kariuki and the Attorney-General in a suit in which cigarette maker British American Tobacco (BAT) company is listed as an interested party.

He has challenged provisions of the Tobacco Act which allows the production, licensing sale and use of tobacco in various forms while claiming that it continues to put the health of Kenyans predisposed to cancer among other illnesses that emanate from smoking. He argues that farmers, manufacturers, traders and consumers are at risk yet the government has created an enabling environment that leaves everyone exposed to smoking dangers. “The petitioner challenges the holding of tobacco as a legal commodity available for exploitation and consumption by the public in blatant disregard of the effects of growing, consuming, selling and use,” said his lawyer George Kithi...