National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Uasin Gishu County Director of Environment Boniface Birichi addressing the press on Friday, October 13, 2017. [Photo/Elvanis Ronoh]
Uasin Gishu County residents have been warned against using banned plastic bags.
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) County Director of Environment Boniface Birichi said the grace period had elapsed, so they risk arrest and prosecution.
"In the last two months we have been sensitizing the public on the need to embrace the law," he said at Huruma Estate during a clean up exercise, Friday.
"From Monday next week anyone found using plastic bags will be arrested and pay a fine of Sh 2-3 million . We want to keep our environment clean since plastic bags take between 20 and 1,000 years to biodegrade," he added.
He urged Kenyans to use alternative bags such as the Manila paper, canvas, jute and biodegradable plastic.
"We will not only arrest those using paper bags but those packaging bread and sukuma wiki in polythenes," he added.
Uasin Gishu County Senior Public health Officer Environment Dapartment Alex Amdany said the County has seen tremendous reduction of garbage since the bann was effected.
"Plastic contributes over 20 percent of garbage collected in the county. At the moment urban centers such as Moisbridge,Turbo,Cheptiret,Moiben and have seen are among the cleanest towns after the bann was effected," he said.
He urged Kenyans to ensure they stay in a clean environment since it is their constitutional right.