Ban on plastic bags poorly thought out and ill-timed

The proposed ban on the use of polythene bags in Kenya is a policy step that did not factor in sustainability and long-term realities. The face value argument that Rwanda, a case study, has successfully rolled it out does not weigh much in Kenya's context. Rwanda and Kenya are miles apart as far the level of industrial activity is concerned. Kenya is definitely ahead. Our economic obligations to provide employment and sustain our pace of industrialization cannot be compared to Rwanda, whose population stands at 12 million people compared to our 48 million. This means Kenya's economic planning cannot at all be directly compared to Rwanda.

Our planning needs to borrow from other nations. For good reasons, successful models such as Germany, where not only plastics but all other waste is harnessed for economic value should suffice for Kenya. As things stand right now, it is intellectually dishonest and insensitive to roll out a clearly poorly thought out policy on plastics.