Kenyans could soon be forced to dig deeper into their pockets to purchase electronic goods if a draft regulation by the Ministry of Environment is ratified.
The draft law that seeks to help manage e-waste in the country could see the importation of second-hand electronics banned, Betty Maina, the Principal Secretary at the Ministry of Environment told journalists on October 11.
Ayub Macharia, the director of environmental education at the ministry said the move was put in place to protect Kenya from becoming an e-waste dumpsite.
The ban will affect electronic gadgets including old computers and laptops donated by donors such as multinational companies to schools and institutions in the country.
“The ban will be contained in the Extended Producer Responsibility Regulations. We are putting strict regulations to deter import of obsolete electronics,” Macharia added.
In a phone call with kenyans.co.ke, Macharia confirmed that the bill is ready for tabling in parliament and that importers of electronic gadgets will be responsible for managing the e-waste.
Most of the e-waste comes from China, the Republic of Korea, Canada, the Europian Union, and the USA.
Macharia said this on Tuesday, October 14, during the sidelines of International E-Waste Day when he spoke at the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE) centre in Utawala, Nairobi.
“Those who sell the non-biodegradable equipment will have to adhere to the deposit return scheme,” Macharia affirmed.
According to the ministry, the move will increase the cost of electronics since importers and dealers in electronic gadgets such as mobile phones, TVs, electronic cables and music systems will be responsible for the waste.
A levy will be added on top of the original gadget's price and buyers will either be refunded the fee upon exhaustive use when they return the gadget or trade-in the existing device for a new one.
Boniface Mbithi, the WEEE General Manager said Kenya had a high volume of e-waste because there was no framework for capturing the collection of the e-waste data.
