Unreasonable By-laws


The ban on smoking continues to bite the average kenyan smoker following the directive by the authorities in the three major cities to bann smoking in public.This bann has however raised fundamental issues in Nairobi in particular.

the number of women who smoke has considerably increased.Provisions have not been made to accomodate this kind of smokers, given the chauvinist nature of our society and the caltural attitude that would make it very uncomfortable for women to smoke in open parks.

The distribution of smoking zones is appalling.For a city that has close to a million inhabitants, having only three zones is in itself defeatist.The implication is that one has to board a vehicle from eastleigh to jeevanjee gardens to puff.Noone bothered to state the territorial limit of the directive.

The city Askaris are already cashing in on this descrepancy by arresting and soliciting bribes from smokers as far away from the city centre as Kariobangi where there is no smoking zone. In this they have been joined by the ever ready policemen.Then all council workers including even sweepers have suddenly doned blazers and jackets to impersonate officers from the city inspectorate.

People have resorted to smoking in closed places.Which is even more harmful to themselves and the environment due to the concerntration o0f smoke.Then, what contribution to the environment does the smoke from vehicles and factories have? City council workers burn gabage too.