Assent to Finance Bill, lobbies say

Four non-governmental organisations want President Uhuru Kenyatta to assent to the Finance Bill 2019 that increases excise taxes on alcohol and tobacco from 15 to 21 per cent. This, they argue, will discourage the use or abuse of alcohol and tobacco products.

International Insititute of Legislative Affairs (IILA), Non-Communicable Disease Alliance, Alcohol Control Policy Network, and Kenya Tobacco Control Alliance argued the signing of the Bill will reduce health-related cost caused by the two.

“We need to balance, on what the industry is contributing to the economy versus the health cost at the individual and national level,” said Emma Wanyonyi of IILA.