Plastics ban Bill stalls in EALA after opposition from Kenya

A Nairobi woman sorts out plastic bags for reuse. PHOTO | FILE 

By NJIRAINI MUCHIRA

In Summary

• The EALA was prompted to drop the Bill from the Order Paper during its sitting in Nairobi after Kenyan manufacturers opposed it.
• Kenya, together with Uganda, have been opposing the enactment of the Bill not only on the basis that plastic bags are widely used for packaging but also on the argument that it would lead to massive loss of jobs and investment running into billions of dollars.
• Kenya has tried to contain the use of polythene materials by increasing excise tax although this has had minimal impact.