Inspectors from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has conducted a raid on residence in Kiambu, resulting in the arrest of a suspected manufacturer involved in the production of banned plastic bags.
Acting on a tip-off from the public, the Nema team discovered four machines utilized for the manufacturing process, as well as bundles of prohibited plastic bags.
The suspect was apprehended and is presently held at the Limuru Town police station, awaiting arraignment in court on Monday, according to a statement released by Nema.
Despite the plastic ban that was implemented in August 2017, the Kenyan government recently acknowledged that its intended impact has yet to be fully realized.
The Environment Cabinet Secretary, Soipan Tuya, expressed the government’s discontent during the World Environment Day event held at Nakuru National Park.
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Tuya stated that the country had experienced a relapse in enforcing the ban on single-use plastic, as it has resurfaced in local markets.
The ban, which carries penalties ranging from fines of Sh2 million to Sh4 million, imprisonment for one to two years, or both, was introduced to combat the detrimental effects of non-biodegradable plastic bags that were previously used at a rate of 100 million annually in Kenyan supermarkets.
