KCCA Asked to Shutdown Bars and Hotels that Permit Shisha Smoking

By Serestino Tusingwire

Civil Society Organizations have asked Kampala Capital City Authority to cancel operational licenses of bars and hotels which do not comply with the Tobacco Control Act 2015.

The law makes it illegal to sell or operate tobacco-related products or smoke a cigarette within 50metres from any public facility or place such as a school or a hospital.

This comes on the heels of police operation that left over 30 netted while smoking shisha in various hangout places in Kampala.

The Legal officer at the Uganda National Health Consumers Organization, Moses Talibita says although the law is in place there is little or no deliberate effort to protect the public from the dangers of second hand smoke.

The same law makes it criminal to buy a stick of cigarette so that it is hard for children to access or afford it.

It is also now illegal for a person below the age of 21 to access cigarettes although according to the Constitution of Uganda, 18 years is the recognized age for an adult.