In a coordinated operation, eight traders were arrested in Kyumbi Town, Athi River subcounty, Machakos County, for possessing and using banned plastic bags. The operation was a collaborative effort between the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Machakos County Government officials, and local police.

NEMA’s Head of Operations, Shieni Koiyet, stated that the crackdown followed intelligence reports indicating a resurgence of banned plastic bags in the market. Approximately 1,000 pieces of prohibited flat and black carrier bags, commonly used for packaging muguka, were confiscated during the operation.

The suspects are currently held at Kyumbi Police Station and are scheduled to appear before Mavoko Law Courts on Friday, April 4, 2025. NEMA officials have warned that they will continue to enforce the plastic bag ban strictly, citing environmental concerns such as drainage blockages, mosquito breeding, and threats to wildlife and human health.

Kenya’s stringent plastic bag ban, implemented in 2017, imposes severe penalties, including fines of up to $40,000 or imprisonment for those producing, selling, or using plastic bags.