Yes, you can smoke at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). The designated airside smoking lounge — the Burgundy Lounge, near Gate 14 in Terminal 1A — sits after security, and designated outdoor smoking areas are available landside outside the terminals.
JKIA is the hub of Kenya Airways and the busiest airport in East Africa, handling most of the region’s long-haul and transfer traffic. Passenger operations run through the connected Terminal 1 complex (units 1A–1E) plus the smaller Terminal 2: Terminal 1A is the main international terminal, 1B and 1C handle further international and regional departures, 1D serves domestic flights, and 1E is international arrivals.
Terminal 1A: The Burgundy Lounge Near Gate 14
The Burgundy Lounge is JKIA’s official designated smoking lounge, confirmed by the Kenya Airports Authority. It sits airside in Terminal 1A, after security and passport control, near Gate 14 — directly beside the Java House coffee shop, which makes it easy to find: follow the departures concourse toward Gate 14 and look for the Java House signage. It is a walk-in designated smoking facility on the main international departures level, close to the food court and duty-free shopping, so you can grab a coffee next door and smoke steps away from your gate.
Travellers also consistently report two further airside spots in the same terminal: a smoking room on the lower level near Gates 22–24 (confirmed in traveller reports from 2020 through 2023) and a spot downstairs past Gate 5, on the way toward the Turkish Airlines lounge. These are traveller-reported rather than officially listed — confirm with staff or signage on the day, and treat the Burgundy Lounge as the reliable default.
Terminals 1B, 1C, 1D and Terminal 2
The other terminal units are smaller, and their indoor options are thinner. Traveller guides report a ventilated smoking room near the boarding gates in Terminal 1C, a small designated smoking area near the domestic gates in Terminal 1D, and a smoking area near the boarding area of Terminal 2 (low-cost and some domestic carriers). None of these are officially published the way the Burgundy Lounge is, so ask staff when you reach your gate area. Landside, every unit has designated outdoor smoking areas near the terminal entrances and drop-off points — smoke only in the marked spots.
Smoking on a Layover or Transit at NBO
NBO is East Africa’s main transfer hub, and most Kenya Airways connections keep you airside within the Terminal 1 complex. The Burgundy Lounge is after security, so transit passengers can smoke without clearing immigration or holding a Kenyan visa. On a long layover, the Gate 14 area is the most comfortable base: the smoking lounge, Java House, and the duty-free stretch all sit together. The main airline lounges (Simba, Pride, Turkish) are non-smoking, so step out to the designated smoking lounge and back.
Arriving passengers exit through Terminal 1E; the nearest smoke after landing is at the designated outdoor areas outside the arrivals hall, near the short-term parking.
Vaping
IMPORTANT: Since 30 July 2025, Kenya bans the import of all tobacco and nicotine products, including vapes, e-liquid, and nicotine pouches. Customs at JKIA may confiscate devices and e-liquid on arrival, so do not bring a vape into the country. E-cigarette use itself is largely unregulated within Kenya; the import ban at the border is the real, practical risk for arriving travellers.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1A airside — Burgundy Lounge | Yes | Near Gate 14, beside Java House; KAA-confirmed |
| Terminal 1A airside — Gates 22–24 lower level | Reported | Traveller-reported smoking room, 2020–2023 |
| Terminal 1A airside — past Gate 5 | Reported | Traveller-reported, downstairs toward Turkish lounge |
| Terminals 1C / 1D / 2 airside | Reported | Small rooms per traveller guides — confirm on the day |
| Outdoor landside areas | Yes | Marked spots outside terminal entrances, incl. T1E arrivals |
| Vapes / e-cigarettes | Warning | Import banned since 30 July 2025 — may be confiscated |
For Kenya’s airport smoking rules and the vape import ban, see our Kenya airport guide.