What’s really inside your food? Kenya launches push for warning labels

Allan Maleche, director of the Kenya Legal & Ethical Issues Network on HIV and AIDS (KELIN), with Celine Awuor, the CEO of the  International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA), during the launch of the campaign in Nairobi on May 7, 2026.

A new national campaign has been launched to push for clear warning labels on levels of oil, salt and sugar in packaged foods.

The campaign, unveiled in Nairobi by the Food Policy Coalition Kenya, calls for simple front-of-pack warning labels on prepackaged foods to help consumers quickly identify products high in these harmful nutrients.

Speakers at the launch said Kenya is undergoing a rapid shift from traditional diets to processed foods, many of which are high in sugar, salt and unhealthy fats, often hidden behind attractive packaging and misleading claims.

They said these contribute to the growing burden of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, cancer and high blood pressure, which now account for about 39 per cent of all deaths in Kenya, according to the Ministry of Health.

Celine Awuor, CEO of the International Institute for Legislative Affairs (IILA), warned that aggressive marketing is pushing Kenyans away from healthier foods and masking the dangers of ultra-processed products.

“Unhealthy food products are being marketed heavily, so that they become addictive; they are shown to be cheaper, they are shown to be the best alternative. If you want to drink water, instead of water you can drink a sugar-sweetened beverage,” she said. “We are moving from whole foods to ultra-processed foods, and then we are moving from nutrient-dense to energy-dense foods.”

She said these foods are designed to appeal to consumers while offering little nutritional value.

“Energy-dense means that they are high in sugar, high in fat, so it means that they are giving you more energy rather than nutrients that your body requires,” she said.

Health advocates also warned that some manufacturers use deceptive marketing to present unhealthy products as healthy. Products such as juices are often labelled “natural” or “healthy,” yet may contain high levels of added sugar, flavouring and food colouring.

Experts said such practices mislead consumers and make it harder for families to make informed choices, especially when nutrition labels are complex or hidden.

The campaign focuses on introducing front-of-pack warning labels that clearly show when a product is high in sugar, salt or fat. These labels are designed to be simple and visible, unlike current back-of-pack nutrition panels.

Dr Catherine Karekezi, Executive Director of NCD Alliance Kenya, said the goal is to provide consumers with clear, usable information.

Dr Karekezi highlighted the scale of the health crisis, noting that non-communicable diseases are placing a heavy burden on households and the economy.

“At the moment, NCDs account for 43 per cent of all deaths, and they're now contributing 62 per cent of all hospital admissions due to non-communicable diseases,” she said. “Important for us to remember that NCDs reduce household income by about 30 per cent.”

Research presented at the launch showed that clear warning labels can significantly improve how people understand what is in their food.

Fabian Oriri from the African Population and Health Research Centre said studies in Kenya found that consumers struggle to interpret current nutritional warnings but respond well to simple warnings.

“The presence of the labels was actually associated with better identification of nutrients of concern,” he said. “And of all the three warning labels, which were tested, the black octagonal one was best at identifying nutrients of concern and overall product and healthiness as compared to red, green icons.”

He said the research clearly shows that warning labels help ordinary consumers quickly understand which foods are unhealthy.

Oriri added that public education will be key to the success of the new system.

“What we suggested was that, for the implementation of the front-of-pack label, which is effective for Kenyans, the warning label should go hand in hand at every single stage with intensive education to the public,” he said.

Zachariah Muriuki, a nutrition policy expert from the Ministry of Health, said food policy has a powerful influence on what people eat and their health outcomes.

He said the coalition was formed to respond to the growing crisis driven by rapid changes in diets and food environments.

“The reason why this coalition has come together is that we realise not a single institution can address the challenges we are facing because Kenya is experiencing a very fast nutrition transition,” he said.

The campaign will run for six weeks across television, radio, billboards, digital media and community platforms. It aims to encourage Kenyans to question what is in their food and demand clearer information.

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