Treasury CS Ukur Yatani’s case for nicotine taxes doesn’t add up

CS Ukur Yatani: These products continue to negatively affect the health of our citizens. [iStockphoto] 

Know thy enemy, as the saying goes.

If we’re going to win the war against smoking, which is said to kill approximately 8,100 Kenyans every year, we need to know what makes it so deadly and take commensurate steps to address those issues. Knee-jerk reactions, as proposed in the Finance Bill 2022/23, are not the answer. Sadly, too many policymakers in our country misunderstand the problem to an extent that they can’t tell friend from foe.