Alarm as NEMA officials nab trader in Meru with banned plastic bags

A consignment of plastic bags worth Sh660,000 netted by police and NEMA officials at a wholesale shop in Gakoromone, Meru county. The owner Ayub Gituma was arrested. (Standard)

The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has reported that banned plastic bags are still smuggled into Kenyan from Uganda despite ban.

This comes after a trader was arrested in Meru with a consignment of the banned packing bags believed to have originated from the neighbouring country.

Meru County NEMA director Mark Angwenyi said the businessman, who runs a wholesale shop in Gakoromone, was found with more than 300,000 pieces of plastic bags being sold to local retailers as well as to fruit, cereals and vegetable vendors.

Imenti North Deputy County Commissioner Isaac Masinde said police have received intelligence reports that polythene bags were being sneaked into the country.

“Security and Nema officers recovered over 330,000 pieces of banned polythene bags with a market value of over Sh660,000 believed to be imported from Uganda,” said Mr Masinde.

He warned members of the public to use the right packaging materials to avoid getting arrested and prosecuted.

Mr Angwenyi said they suspect plastic bags could still be in production in the country aside from those being illegally imported from Uganda.

“Those selling or using plastic bags should know that their days are numbered because these bags are a menace to the environment and the health of humans and animals,” added Angwenyi.

According to Mr Masinde, police have identified three other dealers who are key distributors of the banned commodity in Meru.

The police in collaboration with NEMA will next week carry out a major crackdown on plastic bags and goods which have not been certified by the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS).

The trader and his accomplices will be taken to court on Monday and charged.

Plastic bags were banned in 2017 and those still hiding them risk possession and heavy penalties should they be found.