Defence Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale lauded the move to crackdown on Shisha users in the country, saying it is an offense and those found culpable should face the law.
The National Authority for the Campaign Against Alcohol and Drug Abuse (NACADA) conducted an operation in a shisha joint in Kilimani on Friday night, where 25 people were arrested and shisha bongs confiscated.
In response to the operation, Duale said consumption of Shisha was banned in Kenya in 2017, and anyone found using or selling it should face the law.
“Shisha addicts must face the law, as it is illegal in Kenya since 2017. Law enforcement agents must raid Shisha dens,” Duale said.
NACADA officials arrested 25 people at Yejoka Gardens in Kilimani, when they were found deep in Shisha smoking and miraa chewing as they partied the festive season away.
They also seized 117 shisha bongs.
The operation was led by NACADA CEO Anthony Omerikwa, who said the ban imposed in 2017 still stands and must be implemented.
The group was found in different rooms smoking shisha, with some shisha bongs customised for them.
Also Read: 25 People Arrested In NACADA Crackdown On Shisha Joints In Nairobi
“We are trying to look whether this place is licensed, the public health will also come here to see if the premise is in good shape, so the investigations have just begun,” Omerikwa said.
Shisha smoking, also known as water pipe, hookah, or hubble-bubble, was outlawed in Kenya in 2017.
The comprehensive ban covered use, import, manufacture, sale, promotion, and distribution of the product. Offenders face fines starting at Sh50,000 or a minimum jail term of six months.
Kenya joined neighboring East African countries Uganda, Tanzania, and Rwanda in prohibiting the use of shisha.
The agency said they will continue with the exercise in other joints.
