Ban on plastics takes effect in Mombasa

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A client service officer at Bestly cosmetics with a sample of the non woven bag as the Nema Mombasa boss Stephen Wambua looks during a past crackdown.The Authority is set to begin a crackdown on non woven bags PHOTO /FILE

Mombasa,KENYA: The  ban on plastics bags in Kenya has already started taking effect in Mombasa.

A spot check conducted by Baraka FM on Monday, revealed environment inspection officers conducting door to door inspections on businesses around the city.

“The ban has kicked off today and we are only making routine checks to see if people are complying but as from tomorrow action will be taken against those found in possession of plastic bags” the NEMA Mombasa county director Stephen Wambua told Baraka FM.

According to a gazette notice issued by NEMA in February, the ban on plastic bags would take effect on 28th August and the ban would affect secondary packaging bags but would spare primary packaging bags used during manufacturing of products.

According to the ban, possession of a plastic bag after 28th would amount criminal offence liable to a jailterm of between 1 and 4 years and a  fine of between 2 to 4 years.

At the Marikiti market at the Mombasa CBD, a spot check by Baraka FM found no retailer selling the bags.

“I have resulted to wrapping shoes using newspapers,“ Adow Abdi a trader at Marikiti market told Baraka FM.

The ban has been effected after the Kenya association  manufacturers  lost a petition to have the ban on plastic bags suspended on Friday.

Kenya becomes the 3rd country in East Africa to effect a ban on plastics after Rwanda and Tanzania.

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