Yes, you can smoke at Jomo Kenyatta International Airport (NBO). The designated airside smoking lounge — the Burgundy Lounge, near Gate 14 in Terminal 1B — 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 1B: The Burgundy Lounge Near Gate 14
The Burgundy Lounge is JKIA’s designated smoking lounge, listed as such by Kenya Airports Authority in 2014. It sits airside 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. Gate 14 sits in the Terminal 1B stretch of that concourse; the authority’s own gate signage groups Gates 3–6 with Terminal 1C, Gates 7–14 with Terminal 1B and Gates 15–24 with Terminal 1A, all on one connected airside walkway, so the lounge is a short walk from any international gate. 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. That 2014 listing is the most recent one the authority has published, so verify with staff or signage on the day.
A second smoking lounge sits on the same concourse: Kenya Airports Authority’s wayfinding signage points to a Smoking Lounge off the corridor toward Gates 1–5, by the airline lounges. Travellers also report a smoking room on the lower level near Gates 22–24, in reports running from 2020 through 2023; that one does not appear on the authority’s published signage, so confirm it with staff on the day and treat the Burgundy Lounge as the reliable default.
Terminals 1B, 1C, 1D and Terminal 2
Terminal 1’s international departures run as one connected airside concourse, so both signposted smoking lounges — the Burgundy Lounge at Gate 14 and the one off the Gates 1–5 corridor — are walkable whether you board from unit 1A, 1B or 1C. Terminal 1D handles domestic flights and Terminal 2 (low-cost and some domestic carriers) is a separate building; ask staff at your gate before you count on an indoor spot in either. 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
Vape where cigarettes are allowed, and leave the device at home when you fly in — Kenya has banned the import of all tobacco and nicotine products since 30 July 2025, and customs at JKIA may confiscate devices and e-liquid on arrival.
Summary
| Area | Smoking | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Terminal 1B airside — Burgundy Lounge | Yes | Near Gate 14, beside Java House; listed by KAA in 2014 |
| Terminal 1 airside — Gates 1–5 corridor | Yes | Second smoking lounge, signposted by KAA, by the airline lounges |
| Terminal 1A airside — Gates 22–24 lower level | Reported | Traveller-reported smoking room, 2020–2023 |
| Outdoor landside areas | Yes | Marked spots outside terminal entrances, incl. T1E arrivals |
For Kenya’s airport smoking rules and the vape import ban, see our Kenya airport guide.