Using a plastic bag can now possibly get you jail time in Kenya


After multiple attempts to implement a ban on plastic bags in Kenya, on Monday it finally became illegal in the country to use plastic bags to carry groceries and throw out trash. The penalties are steep — violators could be fined up to $38,000 or sentenced to up to four years in jail.
"It is a toxin that we must get rid of," Judi Wakhungu, Cabinet secretary for the environment, told reporters. "It's affecting our water. It's affecting our livestock and, even worse, we are ingesting this as human beings." Despite the hefty fines, the government does not plan on going out of its way to arrest Kenyans, she said, adding, "I know they will comply."
Plastic bags are spotted everywhere in Kenya, collecting in trees and along the side of roads, and it's not going to be easy to totally eliminate them from the country — there are nearly 176 plastic bag manufacturers in Kenya, the Kenyan Association of Manufacturers says, employing tens of thousands of people. The organization is challenging the ban in court.
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
In a country where many people live on less than $2 a day, the ban could make a tough economic situation even worse. In June, NPR spoke with a man who sold charcoal, and he said he'll lose his customers if they can't have a cheap way to carry it home. He also said he keeps a man in business who finds plastic bags, cleans them, then sells them to merchants. Parliament member Kenneth Okoth, who represents the Kibera slum in Nairobi, told NPR he wants to save the environment, but his constituents are too poor to do without the bags. "It may look very fashionable in international circles," he said. "But in reality, in a place like Kibera, we still need those plastics."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Catherine Garcia has worked as a senior writer at The Week since 2014. Her writing and reporting have appeared in Entertainment Weekly, The New York Times, Wirecutter, NBC News and "The Book of Jezebel," among others. She's a graduate of the University of Redlands and the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.
-
Today's political cartoons - March 29, 2025
Cartoons Saturday's cartoons - my way or Norway, running orders, and more
By The Week US Published
-
5 tactically sound cartoons about the leaked Signal chat
Cartoons Artists take on the clown signal, baby steps, and more
By The Week US Published
-
Roast lamb shoulder with ginger and fresh turmeric recipe
The Week Recommends Succulent and tender and falls off the bone with ease
By The Week UK Published
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
By Justin Klawans, The Week US Published
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Biden expected to block Japanese bid for US Steel
Speed Read The president is blocking the $14 billion acquisition of U.S. Steel by Japan's Nippon Steel, citing national security concerns
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Judges block $25B Kroger-Albertsons merger
Speed Read The proposed merger between the supermarket giants was stalled when judges overseeing two separate cases blocked the deal
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published
-
Rupert Murdoch loses 'Succession' court battle
Speed Read Murdoch wanted to give full control of his empire to son Lachlan, ensuring Fox News' right-wing editorial slant
By Peter Weber, The Week US Published