National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) officials have arrested six traders in Kitengela town, Kajiado County, after they were found in possession of banned plastic bags.

According to NEMA, they were arrested after being caught using the banned nylon plastic bags for packaging.

The crackdown comes after several complaints from members of the public about the re-emergence of banned single-use plastic bags.

 NEMA Deputy Director in Charge of Enforcement Salome Machua said the ban on plastic bags is still in place and warned traders against using them.

She also warned that those arrested would be arraigned in court because plastic bags are not environmentally friendly and are easily ingested by cows while grazing, ruining their intestines.

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“The ban on the use of flat plastic bags is still in effect and anyone found using them will face the full force of the law. The bags are not environmentally friendly and pose a danger to the animals when they ingest them.”

The ban on plastic bags came into effect in Kenya on August 28,2017.

However, the bags still find their way into the country as they are smuggled in from Tanzania through the porous border.

Anyone found manufacturing, importing, or selling plastic carrier bags is liable to a fine of up to Kes 5 million or face a prison sentence of up to four years. Using the banned bags carries a fine of Kes 50,000 or a jail term of up to a year.

Some of the countries in Africa that embraced the ban of plastic bags include Rwanda, Mauritania, Tanzania and Morocco.