Kenyan bar and liquor traders urge Parliament to stop duplicate licensing requirements in the new Tobacco Control Bill.

The Bar and Liquor Traders Association of Kenya (BAHLITA), representing 54,000 members, is lobbying the National Assembly to revise the Tobacco Control (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

Traders warn that proposed duplicate registration frameworks across national and county levels will drastically increase compliance costs, risking pushing small merchants into the informal economy.

The bill, which passed the Senate on March 3, 2026, is facing pushback over a perceived lack of public participation, a constitutional right under Article 118.

If multiple layers of licensing are enforced, it could drive small retail merchants away from formal digital payment ecosystems to avoid tracking by tax and licensing authorities.

This regulatory friction underscores a massive opportunity for startups building compliance-as-a-service or unified digital licensing portals to streamline county and national approvals for small businesses.