BIG FINE OR LONG JAIL SENTENCE

Manufacturing, selling, or using plastic bags to carry your shopping, or pack goods, is now illegal in Kenya.

From today, if you are caught using a plastic bag you could face a fine of up to nearly 4 million Shillings ($38,000), or a prison sentence of up to four years!

It is estimated that Kenyans use 24 million plastic bags each year.

The government say the ban will help protect Kenya’s environment and there’s no doubt that the millions of plastic bags left as rubbish throughout the country are a hazard.

Plastic bag manufacturers and sellers, however, say the ban will cost up to 80,000 jobs.

On Friday two importers lost a challenge to the ban in the High Court.

Kenya now joins South Africa, Rwanda and Eritrea in imposing a ban on plastic bags.