Officials from the National Environmental Management Authority enforcing the ban on polythenes yesterday impounded 15,000 pieces of the bags from a man posing as a lunatic.
The arrest came after a tip-off from residents who had become suspicious of the dealings of the man who has posed as a mad man for years.
Nema officials had tried to arrest the man only identified as Shikuku earlier but met resistance from a group of youths who were believed to guard the man as he conducted the illegal business.
The officials were forced to call for police reinforcements who later arrested the man with new polythene bags and Sh275,150 in his possession.
The man was taken to the Kimilili police station for interrogation.
Nema county director Kipkoech Rop told the media that the man was behind a large number of contraband polythene bags in Kimilili market and other areas.
The bags are suspected to be imported into the region from Uganda.
He said they have been trailing the man for a while before they laid a trap after receiving reliable information from the public.
“These plastic bags remain banned effective August 2016 and therefore anyone found in possession of such will be arrested promptly and prosecuted for the offence,” Rop said.
He added that the exercise is ongoing in major urban centres to ensure the bags are out of circulation.
The incident shocked a section of Kimilili residents who wondered how the man they popularly called Shikuku would be doing such brisk business and had so much money on himself.
“We have always known him to be mad, little did we know that he does such business, he moves around this market the whole day and disappears in the evening towards the Machinjoni road,” Peter Wekesa, a resident, said.
(edited by O. Owino)
