The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has sounded the alarm over the return of banned plastic bags in the Kenyan market.
The authority has warned that individuals and businesses found manufacturing, importing, using, or selling the outlawed materials will face stiff penalties, including jail terms and heavy fines.
In a public notice dated September 8, 2025, the Authority said it had observed with concern the re-emergence of illegal importation, manufacture, and retail sale of plastic bags, despite a ban introduced eight years ago.
The prohibition was first gazetted in 2017, outlawing the use, manufacture, and importation of plastic bags for commercial and household packaging.
“Any person who manufactures, imports, exports, uses, sells, offers for sale, or possesses plastic carrier bags or plastic flat bags without a licence commits an offence and shall, upon conviction, be liable to a jail term of not less than one year but not more than four years, or to a fine of not less than Sh2 million but not more than Sh4 million, or both such fine and imprisonment,” NEMA warned.
The Authority emphasised that only licensed dealers are permitted to handle plastic packaging materials under the Environmental Management and Coordination (Management and Control of Plastic Packaging Materials) Regulations, 2024.
Those seeking approval must apply through the Authority’s official portal, with applications subject to strict compliance checks.
The regulations further stipulate that all plastic packaging materials must clearly indicate the names and contacts of both the manufacturer and the user before being sold in the Kenyan market.
According to NEMA, inspection and enforcement activities are ongoing across the country to identify violators and ensure compliance.
The agency also urged members of the public to report cases of illegal use or trade in banned plastics.
The plastic bag ban, hailed globally as one of the toughest in Africa when it took effect in 2017, was aimed at tackling environmental degradation, reducing pollution, and safeguarding public health.
NEMA has now reiterated its commitment to sustaining the gains made since then, while assuring Kenyans of its resolve to maintain a clean, safe, and healthy environment for all.
