From Bath to Nairobi: Sharing TIMRA2026 Skills with Kenya’s Youth Tobacco Control Advocates

About a month after participating in the Tobacco Industry Monitoring, Research and Accountability (TIMRA2026) training hosted by the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath, I had the opportunity to put those lessons into practice by training youth tobacco control advocates in Kenya.

The training took place during the Youth Champions Training on Systematic Monitoring of Tobacco Industry Interference, organized by the Kenya Tobacco Control and Health Promotion Alliance (KETCA). Coincidentally, the session fell on my birthday, making it an especially memorable way to celebrate another year—by investing in others.

The practical session focused on digital and investigative tools that can strengthen tobacco control advocacy. Participants learned how to effectively use Google Advanced Search, Google Alerts, Wayback Machine, LinkedIn, and PhotoVoice to identify, document, and report tobacco industry activities and interference.

Beyond learning how to use the tools, participants explored practical ways of investigating relationships between the tobacco industry and organizations that may undermine public health, documenting violations, and generating credible evidence for advocacy.

Approximately forty youth advocates participated in the session. Their enthusiasm and willingness to learn reinforced my belief that investing in young people remains one of the strongest strategies for strengthening tobacco control in Kenya.

One of the commitments I made after attending TIMRA2026 was to cascade the knowledge gained to fellow advocates back home. This session marked the first step in fulfilling that commitment. International training achieves its greatest impact when participants return home and apply—and share—the knowledge acquired.

I extend my sincere appreciation to KETCA for creating this platform and to the Tobacco Control Research Group at the University of Bath for equipping advocates with practical investigative skills that can strengthen tobacco control efforts globally.

As these advocates begin applying these monitoring tools in their communities, I hope their work will contribute to stronger accountability, evidence-based advocacy, and ultimately, a tobacco-free future.