Nairobi, KENYA: President Uhuru Kenyatta has been applauded for the government’s move of banning usage of plastic bags which has been termed as a a key mitigating factor that has reduced the pollution in the country.
Speaking during the 3rd UN Environment Assembly held at Gigiri Nairobi on Tuesday, The President of Guyana, David Granger, and the President of Trinidad and Tobago, Anthony Carmona, praised Kenya for implementing the ban on plastic packaging.
President Carmona said through the plastic ban Kenya has become the hope for humanity.
“Nothing stops Kenya from becoming known as the hope of humanity just as it is known as the cradle of humanity,” Said Presdent Carmona.
He said he learnt with admiration that the ban on plastic bags in Kenya has resulted in renewed growth in paper and jute industries in Kenya.
He called on UN Environment Assembly to come up with implementable resolutions that can guide humanity towards intergenerational equity.
President Kenyatta said that after the move, Kenya has greatly seen the reduction of the water, air and land pollution.
“A few months ago after the three attempts, we managed to ban the manufacture, sell or use of plastic bags,It has already cut pollution substantially in Kenya,” Uhuru said.
He said that Kenya is gearing up on another anti-pollution milestone through East African on air pollution and building on the 2008 Nairobi agreement, a pact which brought 11 African countries together and comes up with actionable targets in a bid to reduce pollution among member countries.
He said that Kenya is at the forefront in conserving the environment especially in the sector of forestry whereby the country is ready to partner with countries like Brazil, China, and Norway to invest in forestry so as to fight environmental degradation among these countries.
For the United Nations Environmental Programme organization to function effectively, the president said that Kenya will increase its funding towards the organization, urging other member countries to increase their funding towards the organization for it discharge its mandate effectively.
“We as Kenya we will increase our funding, to the organization, in order to support this programme, I will also want to encourage other members, to consider their contributions to enable United Nations Environmental Programme to discharge its mandate.”He said.
He also said that there is a need for the member countries to turn their energy on reforms in order to strengthen its mandate, also to enhance its facilities especially in Nairobi.
