NEMA warns of resurgence of illegal plastic bags

Some of the plastic carrier bags which were confiscated at Rodi Kopany in 2021.[James Omoro, Standard]

The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has raised concerns over the re-emergence of illegal importation, manufacture, use, and sale of plastic bags in Kenya's retail outlets.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 23, NEMA noted a surge in the circulation of plastic bags despite their ban.

According to the Authority, in 2017, the Ministry of Environment outlawed the use, manufacture, and importation of all plastic bags for commercial and household packaging.

The regulations prohibit the manufacturing, importation, exportation, possession, use, or sale of plastic bags and films without prior authorisation from the Authority.

The regulations further require that no plastic packaging material may be sold in Kenya unless it bears the name and contact details of both the user and manufacturer, alongside authorisation from NEMA.

Despite clear rules, NEMA notes that the bags are back, warning that: "Members of the public are further advised that any person who manufactures, imports, exports, uses, sells, offers for sale, or possesses plastic carrier bags or plastic flat bags without a licence commits an offence and shall, on conviction, be liable to a jail term of not less than one year but not more than four years, or to a fine of not less than two million shillings but not more than four million shillings, or both."