NEMA warns Bondo residents for persistently using banned plastic bags [Photo: Africa.com]
The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has warned residents of Lake Victoria beaches in Bondo Sub County against defying its directives on the use of banned plastic bags.
According to NEMA officer Daniel Okumu, plastic bags are still widely used by those living along the beaches despite the ban by the government.
Okumu observed that sensitizations campaigns against the use of plastic bags conducted by NEMA along the beaches have not been successful as the residents continue to defy directives on the use of the bags.
Speaking at Wagusu trading center in central sakwa location, Okumu revealed that the banned plastic bags are still widely in use in business premises and by fish traders who use the bags for packaging.
He warned that those who continue to defy the ban on plastic bags risk paying fines of up to 2 million shillings if they are arrested and prosecuted in the court of law.
Okumu revealed that 32 people have so far been fined heavily in various courts across the country since the ban was affected on 28th August.
“The time for sensitization on plastic bags along the beaches is over. NEMA will now swing into action and arrest those defying the ban. We are doing this not to hurt anyone but for the benefit of our environment,” he said.
The NEMA officer also disclosed that the banned plastic bags may be coming from the neighboring countries through the waters of Lake Victoria and are supplied to traders in the area.
Okumu has therefore called on all relevant authorities to be vigilante and ensure they curb trade on the banned plastic bags.
He also asked residents of Siaya County to develop the right attitude when disposing plastic bags used by various companies to package food products so as to conserve the environment.
“Our market centers and towns are littered with plastics and plastic bags used for packaging of products. This is because we throw the plastics everywhere after consuming their contents. We need to change our attitude so that we can preserve our environment,” Okumu stated.