Huruma MCA Peter Chomba addressing the press in Eldoret town on Thursday, December 7, 2017. [Photo: Elvanis Ronoh]
Huruma MCA Peter Chomba has urged Cabinet Secretary of Environment Judy Wakhungu to intervene by protecting Kenyans from being exploited by supermarkets by paying a lot of money for the alternative bags.
He said this is uncalled for and something needs to be done to end this madness.
“We really supported the ban on the use of plastic bags but the CS should come out and tell the supermarket owners not to charge customers an extra amount for the alternative bags used to package their shopping since the money they used to buy paper bags is just the same used to buy alternative bags,” he said in Eldoret town.
“They should give the said bags free of charge and that is why as Uasin Gishu Assembly we passed a motion forcing supermarket from the county to provide the carrier to their customers just awaiting governors assent for it to be law,” he added.
He said it is sad that supermarkets attendants usually pack all commodities in one bag regardless whether are consumable or not putting the lives of Kenyans at risk
“Since one cannot afford to buy an extra bag he is forced to mix products such as milk, sugar, and bread with soap, steel wool among others which is hygienic and may lead to people contracting diseases," noted Chomba.
He called upon Kenya to copy Rwanda after they banned the use of plastic they provided alternative bags free of charge.