RETRAK decries rising illicit trade in cigarettes, alcohol and counterfeit goods

A recent Kantar study estimates that illicit cigarettes accounted for 45.1 per cent of Kenya’s cigarette market in 2025, up from 34.1 per cent in 2021. The trade is estimated to have cost the government KSh10.2 billion in excise duty and VAT in 2025, and KSh47 billion between 2021 and 2025.