Policy Brief: Investigating and Exposing BATK’s Interference with GHWs.
The policy brief investigates British American Tobacco Kenya’s (BATK) interference with tobacco control laws, specifically the evasion of Graphic Health Warnings (GHWs) on nicotine pouches. Despite Kenya’s commitment to the WHO Framework Convention on Tobacco Control (FCTC) and national laws like the Tobacco Control Act of 2007, BATK has systematically exploited regulatory loopholes, misclassified nicotine pouches as pharmaceutical products, and used lobbying and economic influence to delay enforcement.
Key findings reveal that BATK’s aggressive marketing, particularly targeting youth, and deceptive harm-reduction narratives have weakened public health protections. The report calls for strict enforcement of GHWs, closing regulatory gaps, limiting tobacco industry influence in policymaking, strengthening inter-agency coordination, and educating the public to counter misinformation.
Without urgent action, BATK’s tactics will continue to undermine Kenya’s tobacco control efforts, risking increased nicotine addiction among youth and weakening public health policies.
