Carrying A Plastic Bag Could Land You Four Years In Jail Here

On August 28, all Kenyans received a text message from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), announcing the plastic bag ban that would be taking effect that same day. From that day onward it became forbidden to produce, sell or even use plastic bags in Kenya. With this ban, Kenya is quickly joining other African countries in their fight against plastic.

From littering along the road and clogged drains to humongous garbage dumps, the excessive garbage problem in Kenya is no secret. With a whopping 100 million bags handed out by supermarkets alone, the plastic problem in Kenya has become poignant. The mode of disposal has been a major challenge, especially in more rural areas. At a loss for what to do with their waste, Kenyans turn to burning it along the road or dumping it in undesignated areas. The garbage problem finds its way directly to people’s plates, as domestic animals, such as cows, chickens and goats, graze the littered streets, and farmers see their livestock die from plastic-filled stomachs.

The NEMA in Kenya announces the plastic bag ban on August 28, 2017

This ban marks the third time since 2005 that government officials have tried to phase out the use of plastic bags in Kenya. Other bans have focused on a certain level of thickness of the plastic, and have failed to pull through. This time around the government is not easing into it: Kenyans who produce, sell or even use plastic bags are risking a fine of a whopping US $40,000, or up to four years in prison, making this the world’s toughest law aimed at reducing the use of plastic.

The Kenya Association of Manufacturers has complained that the six-month notice given before the ban was not enough to relocate the more than 60,000 employees of some 170 plastic manufacturing companies. Others have criticized the ban as being another opportunity for government officials to extort residents in a country that already has a problem with bribery, as reports have been made of incidents of police stopping cars for a car search, or harassing residents over having plastic bags.

Cows grazing in garbage in Kilifi, Kenya

Slowly Kenyans are adjusting to a life without plastic bags. It is creating new business opportunities for smart traders, who are quick to sell fashionable and reusable bags on Facebook. Other photos have been showing up on the internet of Kenyans relying on their creativity to replace plastic, such as that of a girl using banana peels as a bag, or people carrying their groceries on strings.

Only time will tell if this strict ban will bring about the mindset that is needed for the eradication of plastic to be effective this time round. Hopefully Kenya will follow the example of Rwanda, who has successfully implemented the plastic ban since 2008. For now, you don’t want to be caught with a plastic bag in Kenya.

Since you are here, we would like to share our vision for the future of travel - and the direction Culture Trip is moving in.

Culture Trip launched in 2011 with a simple yet passionate mission: to inspire people to go beyond their boundaries and experience what makes a place, its people and its culture special and meaningful — and this is still in our DNA today. We are proud that, for more than a decade, millions like you have trusted our award-winning recommendations by people who deeply understand what makes certain places and communities so special.

Increasingly we believe the world needs more meaningful, real-life connections between curious travellers keen to explore the world in a more responsible way. That is why we have intensively curated a collection of premium small-group trips as an invitation to meet and connect with new, like-minded people for once-in-a-lifetime experiences in three categories: Culture Trips, Rail Trips and Private Trips. Our Trips are suitable for both solo travelers, couples and friends who want to explore the world together.

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