The Lower Eastern Times Opening The Third Eye
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The government has prohibited the importation of 11 Chinese cigarette brands distributed by Shapo Ltd, citing breaches of the Tobacco Control Act, 2007, and the Tobacco Control Regulations, 2014.
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Among the banned brands are RGD Blue, Huangshan, Harmonization, Septwolves, Naijing, and Guiyang, among others.
The Tobacco Control Act provides guidelines for the regulation of tobacco products, covering areas such as manufacturing, advertising, packaging, sale, and sponsorship.
In a letter addressed to the Commissioner General of the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA), Tobacco Control Board Secretary Anthony Wainaina stated that a joint inspection was carried out on March 25, 2025, by a multi-agency team including officials from the Ministry of Health and the Directorate of Criminal Investigations.
“Four brands—Harmonization, Septwolves, Naijing, and Goldenleaf—were not listed in the Ministry of Health’s database,” Wainaina noted. “Following a thorough assessment, all 11 brands were found to be non-compliant with the relevant tobacco laws.”
In contrast, the Ministry of Health had previously authorized the importation of Huanghelou Golden and Huanghelou 1916 Filter cigarettes in 2024, after confirming their compliance with existing legislation.
The letter further announced the immediate cancellation of all previously issued clearance letters that had authorized the importation of the affected tobacco products.
