The government through the Ministry of Environment called on Kenyans to share their comments on the newly proposed Environmental Restoration Fees whose window is set to close today.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale, in the notice, stated that the fees would be charged on all imported finished products.
He added that all importers of finished products would be required to pay the fee directly to the National Environment Restoration Fund established by section 25 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act.
Kenyans seeking to submit their comments on the new fee were, therefore, urged to do so before September 25.
"Written representations and Memoranda may be submitted by email to emcareview@environment.go.ke; addressed to the attention of the Principal Secretary, State Department for Environment and Climate Change, Ministry of Environment, Climate Change and Forestry," CS Duale stated.
Why the Environmental Restoration Fees
The proposed Environmental Restoration Fee is set to be used to address the triple planetary crises of environmental pollution, nature and biodiversity loss, and climate change.
According to Duale, the proposed fee was a strategic tool designed to encourage sustainable practices and fund waste management programs.
The establishment of the Fund will also promote environmental stewardship across the country and will be applied to products that contribute significantly to the waste burden.
“Kenya’s ability to mitigate and adapt to these environmental challenges is severely constrained by inadequate financial resources,” CS Duale stated.
“The challenges posed by pollution require sustained investment in infrastructure, policy, enforcement and community education. Without reliable sources of domestic funding, Kenya risks falling short of its environmental obligations.”
Environmental Challenges in Kenya
It is worth noting that Kenya, East Africa’s most stable economy, is grappling with the impacts of the triple planetary crises of pollution, nature and biodiversity loss, and climate change.
The ripple effects of the above crises have posed immense pressure on the country’s ecosystems, economy, and even society.
Generally, pollution has become a severe environmental challenge, accelerating nature and biodiversity loss and exacerbating the negative impacts of climate change in Kenya.
According to data from the Ministry of Environment, approximately 25,000 tons of solid waste is produced per day, however, only a small fraction of the waste is adequately managed or recycled.
Environmental Restoration Fees & Eco Levy
Despite the difference in the naming, the two levies targeted all importers of finished products. However, the eco-levy before its scrapping targeted a wider scope of manufacturers including local entities that produced environmentally risky products.
However, after public uproar, the government revoked its decision to impose the eco-lecy on locally manufactured products but retained it on imported ones. Nonetheless, the levy was pulled down following President Ruto's move to entirely scrap the controversial Finance Bill 2024.
