Those who fail to segregate waste at the household level will face a fine of Sh20,000 or a six-month jail term.
Director of enforcement at the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) Ayub Macharia said a new law that is set to be enforced requires segregation of waste to make sorting, recycling, reusing, and reducing waste easier.
"Now we have put a penalty in the law that if you don’t segregate waste at the source, that is in our homes, then you are likely to be prosecuted and the penalty is Sh20,000," Macharia told the Star.
He explained that when waste is segregated it becomes valuable unlike when you contaminate which makes it harder to recover.
"When waste is segregated it becomes valuable, when it is contaminated it becomes harder to recover. When you recover it then there is a lot of wealth in it," he said.
Macharia further said the waste management law aims at promoting sustainable waste management.
Manufacturers will from March 2024 be required to help in reducing pollution by stating how their products will be disposed of after use.
"Manufactures are obligated to help in reducing pollution and environmental impact of the products that they introduce into the market. All products in Kenya are subject to extended producer responsibility," he said.
Nema is implementing a National Solid Waste Management Strategy to guide sustainable solid waste management to ensure a healthy, safe and secure environment for all.
The Strategy is a deliberate and visionary commitment for the country in the management of solid waste.
The strategy also seeks to establish a common platform for action between stakeholders to systematically improve waste management in Kenya.
According to Nema, the measures set out in the strategy cannot be implemented without a collective approach to waste challenges explaining the importance of involving a broad range of stakeholders in their implementation.
