Kenya
British American Tobacco Kenya (BATK) says it will continue growing and distributing tobacco in Kenya even in the face of growing anti-smoking campaigns and planned introduction of additional taxation.
The company says it will go on supporting the growth of tobacco in Eastern, Nyanza, and Western regions, where it has traditionally contracted farmers.
“We will continue processing tobacco leaf across East Africa at our green leaf threshing plant based in Thika,” said Simukai Munjanganja, head of legal and corporate affairs. “To do this, we will continue to work with our contracted farmers.”
“While we cannot comment on the strategic processes or models employed by other players, as a key player in the manufacturing industry in Kenya, we are confident of our future,” Munjanganja said. He announced that the firm will give farmers contracts even though another player, Alliance One Tobacco Kenya, announced it is repositioning its operations in Kenya.
Alliance One has contracted some 15,000 farmers in Migori County. “Kenya remains a strategic hub for BATK and a net exporter for the manufacturing industry,” Munjanganja said in an interview.