NAIROBI, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- Kenyan small scale traders have less than ten days to phase out use of polythene bags following a government's ban announced early this year.
The ban which will be effected on Aug. 28 will get many traders and their clients off guard despite the six-month transition period given by the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources.
Grace Boke, a clothes seller in Nairobi's Central Business District told Xinhua on Friday that many traders are aware of the ban but are unaware of any viable alternatives.
Boke is sparingly using the few pieces she has for now as her supplier has also run out of stock.
"We are waiting to see what will happen after Aug. 28, so far we have not been offered any other alternative by our suppliers. I ordered for the polythene bags on Wednesday but my supplier has run out of stock, so I will have to convince my clients to bear with me once I exhaust the few pieces remaining," said Boke.
John Kang'ethe, also a trader in the city expressed similar sentiments saying his search for the recommended packing bags have been futile.
"I use over 100 polythene bags to pack stuff for my customers daily but lately it has been tough as I'm forced to plead with some clients to use their bags as my supplier has closed shop ahead of the ban. The only alternative I have come across is too expensive for a small business like mine, I cannot afford," said Kang'ethe.
Most traders' support the ban but their biggest dilemma now is how and where to get a cheaper alternative.
According to the Consumer Federation of Kenya's (COFEK) Secretary General, Stephen Mutoro, the ban has been long overdue but he, however, cautioned that the 40,000 U.S. dollar penalty on anyone found with a polythene bag is too punitive.
Mutoro said the country also stares at a crisis as traders as well as consumers have not been familiarized with what to use after the ban takes effect.
"The county governments which will be responsible for making sure the ban is successful have not shown enthusiasm in educating or sensitizing the public on alternative means as well as what penalties awaits them if someone is caught with the polythene bags," said Mutoro.
There should have been enough time for concerned authorities to consult on the way forward and especially during the transition period," he added
The federation, whose main duty is to safeguard consumer interests and rights plans to raise concerns over affordability of alternative packing materials as well as the heavy fines with the government.
"We wholly support this ban but we have also to protect the consumer who ends up suffering when such a ban is not effected effectively, there are a few issues that need to be addressed and we hope to present them to the government," said Mutoro.
In its latest notice over the ban on its website, Kenya's environment management authority says plastic bags used for primary industrial packaging are exempted as long as they are used for industrial primary packaging at the source of the product and are not available on sale at the counter or given freely outside the industrial setting.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) further states that the exemption also includes disposal bags for handling of biomedical and hazardous waste and garbage bin liners.
In Kenya, plastics are widely used as a key packing material in several sectors of the economy namely manufacturing, trade, transport, agriculture and hospitality among other sectors.
A research done by NEMA in conjunction with United Nations Environment Programme and Kenya Institute of Public Policy Research and Analysis, revealed that 100 million plastic bags are handed out annually in Kenya by supermarkets alone.
