War on plastic bags being slowed down by porous borders - Nema boss Wakhungu

A multi-agency approach is needed to stop the smuggling of plastic bags across borders, Nema director general Geoffrey Wakhungu has said.

On Friday, he said it did not make sense for the authorities to keep chasing after traders and hawkers using plastic bags yet more were being sneaked into the country through the borders.

Wakhungu said, “The ban on large plastic carrier bags has been successful, but it is now being undermined by cross-border smuggling, especially from Uganda to the Kenyan market."

Busia county commissioner Jacob Narengo urged his counterparts from the seven sub-counties to crack down on plastic bags.

“The multi-agency approach will help us move ahead of the smugglers who invent new ways of  sneaking the contraband into  the country every day, such as stashing them  in milk boxes,”  he said.

"We have tried to engage our counterparts in Uganda, but efforts have been thwarted by lack of regulations on the other end."

Narengo said the Vanga and Malaba borders are the most notorious conduits for the bags.

Read: Nema officials blamed for laxity in implementing polythene bags ban

“We don’t want to let Kenyans down because they have supported us in this call. I urge them to cooperate with police to eliminate these bags," he said.

The government banned production, supply and distribution of plastic bags in the country in August 2017 because of the negative effect on the environment.

However, to date, they are still being used in markets by traders and fish mongers to wrap their merchandise.