Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala in Mombasa on January 27, 2018. He denied pushing for lifting of shisha ban.[Photo/nation.co.ke]
Tourism Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala has denied demanding for the revocation of the shisha ban imposed by the outgoing Health CS Cleopa Mailu.
In a statement by the ministry’s director of public communication Mulei Muia, Balala said he only took issue with the manner in which the ban was enforced.
"While we fully support the ban, we take issue with the manner it was done overnight without much consideration of the relevant stakeholders and without requisite notice. It is expected and courteous of government to execute its policies after issuing adequate notice to the concerned businesses, to allow them time to effectively adjust and implement the directives," said the statement.
This follows a report on Tuesday that the CS had condemned the ban saying it had led to the closure of some entertainment joints, hurting the economy.
Speaking at Pride Inn Hotel in Mombasa over the weekend, Balala had asked the Health Ministry to introduce a punitive tax on shisha to make it more expensive and generate revenue instead of outlawing the product.
"You do your job, we will support; but you don’t wake up overnight and ban shisha or start closing clubs. The whole world has shisha, why ban it in Kenya?," he posed.
The CS added: "If we have issues of health, put a tax. Why don’t you ban cigarettes? Why don’t you ban alcohol? I am not a smoker so I am not defending shisha smokers."
The government, last year, banned the importation, manufacture, sell, offer for sale, use, advertisement, promotion or distribution of shisha in Kenya.