State pledges to transition tobacco farmers to safer crops for health and

prosperity

By GeorgeAgimba (KNA)

Health Cabinet Secretary (CS) Susan Wafula has expressed the government’s
commitment to immigrate tobacco farmers in Migori county to production of safer crops for the
sake of  good health and economic prosperity.

          Ms Wafula noted that people in counties like Migori where the crop is produced in large
quantities have for a long period suffered serious ailments related to the crop and should be
migrated from the unnecessary health hazard and deaths.

             Speaking while marking this year’s World Tobacco Day at Sibuaoche market in Uriri
Constituency within Migori County, Ms Wafula said it is time for tobacco farmers to embrace
crops like the now popular nyota beans, sweet potato, sorghum, maize, sunflower and sugarcane
among others, to raise their incomes and health.

            The CS noted that it is a pity that the prevalence rate of tobacco use among the adults in
Kenya stands at 11.6 per cent while that of the youth is 9.9 per cent.

            This, she added, triggered the number of tobacco-related deaths in the country to over
6,000 annually against the global rate of eight million people within the same period.

            The CS said the Ministry of Health, in conjunction with tobacco control bodies and
partners like the World Health Organization (WHO) will double efforts in persuading the over
20,000 tobacco farmers in Migori alone and the 36,000 of them countrywide to switch to safer
crops.

            The ministry had also made arrangements with the Ministry of Education to introduce a
syllabus on tobacco use in the curriculum.

             Kenya is also a signatory to the global treaty on tobacco control and has so far earned ten
awards for the good work of fighting the crop and will ensure that it protects the Ozone layer
from the impact of tobacco, the CS added.

            She said for Migori, she would take it upon herself to talk to her counterpart in
agriculture to see that the Sony Sugar is made vibrant to promote sugarcane growing to be the
people’s economic mainstay in future.

            “Currently, it is worrying that more farmers are still stuck in the production of tobacco
despite the many diseases like cancer that the crop exposes them to,” she lamented.

             Migori Governor Dr. Ochilo Ayacko, who also graced the event said his government will
ensure the production of tobacco reduces drastically in the area but called for support from the
national government and partners to assist in the promotion of alternative cash crops that have a
ready market locally and globally.

            The forum was also attended by WHO officials among them Dr Adriana Blanco who
assured of their support to fight tobacco in the country.