Nandi Hills MP Bernard Kitur has submitted a proposal to introduce a new tax called the Health Promotion Levy, which is aimed at reducing the consumption of sugary beverages and improving public health across Kenya.
The proposal was officially presented on Thursday afternoon before the National Assembly’s Finance Committee during the ongoing public hearings for the Finance Bill 2025. Kitur explained that this new levy would specifically target the soft drinks industry.
The main goal is to reduce sugar intake among Kenyans, encourage companies to reformulate their products with less sugar, and raise funds to support various health initiatives.
While making his case, Kitur emphasized the health risks posed by excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks.
He said that more and more Kenyans are suffering from obesity, diabetes, and other non-communicable diseases, largely due to the rising intake of these sugary drinks.
“To address this growing public health concern, we propose the introduction of the Health Promotion Levy on sugary beverages,” said Kitur.
“This tax will not only help reduce sugar consumption and encourage healthier manufacturing practices, but it will also raise critical funds that can be directed towards national public health programmes.”
According to the details of the proposal, any beverage that contains more than 4 grams of sugar per 100 millilitres will be taxed.
For locally made sugary drinks, the government would charge Ksh1 for every gram above the 4g threshold per 100ml. In contrast, imported sugary drinks would face a higher charge of Ksh2 for every extra gram per 100ml.
However, the proposed levy would not apply to 100% natural fruit juices without added sugar or dairy-based beverages that contain at least 75% milk content. These exemptions are meant to protect products that are considered naturally nutritious.
Kitur further recommended that all funds collected through this levy be allocated to support school feeding programmes and public health awareness campaigns across the country.
These initiatives, he said, would help tackle nutritional challenges and spread knowledge about healthy eating habits.
“The introduction of this levy on sugary drinks will play a major role in protecting the health of our citizens,” Kitur added.
“It will also encourage the beverage industry to act more responsibly by lowering the sugar levels in their products.
We call on Parliament to pass this proposal for the sake of our country’s health and long-term economic well-being.”
If this proposal is approved, Kenya would follow in the footsteps of countries like South Africa, which implemented a similar tax in April 2018 to combat increasing rates of obesity, diabetes, and other sugar-related health issues.
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