The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has explained to Parliament that the lack of enough budgetary allocation has affected its operations, especially in curbing the resurgence of plastic bags in Kenya.
Mamo Boru, NEMA’s Director General, admitted to the struggles when appearing before the National Assembly Committee on Environment, Forestry and Mining chaired by Hon. David Gikaria (Nakuru East).
Omamo informed the MPs that the lack of adequate funding to recruit staff had hindered the authority's efficiency in upholding the plastic ban put in place in 2017.
“Essentially, we have no environment officers at the porous border posts to prevent the movement of banned plastic bags into the country,” Mamo Boru explained.
The NEMA team added that it only has 423 staff against the 1,500 personnel required to handle its operations effectively. According to NEMA, the number translated to a 30 per cent efficiency level.
Mamo Boru admitted that plastic bags are creeping back into the Kenyan market, especially through the porous Kenya-Uganda border, before being circulated to other markets.
According to the authority's account, hiring more environmental enforcement officers at the border will curb the entry of those plastic bags.
The Director General further told the Committee that NEMA lacks enforcement officers at the sub-county level to handle other critical issues, such as noise pollution.
He, therefore, implored Parliament to give them more money to hire environmental officers.
After their presentation, the Committee advised NEMA to enhance its public awareness strategies, urging it to expand its operations to the community level for effectiveness.
NEMA is mandated with coordinating environmental management activities being undertaken in the country. The Authority also regulates, monitors and assesses activities to prevent environmental degradation.
The government of Kenya banned plastic bags in the country in August 2017, in a directive issued by the Ministry of Environment and National Resources.
Former Environment Cabinet Secretary (CS) Prof Judy Wakhungu then indicated that the ban will take effect in six months in line with the ministry's environmental management programme.
