Kenyans will now face a stiff penalty for improper waste management after a new law was passed. Nonetheless, according to the Sustainable Waste Management bill signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday 7th July 2022, a person found guilty of improper waste disposal will be liable to a fine, not less than 2 million or 4 million, or an imprisonment term of not less than 4 years.
Waste on the road
Before the punishment is imposed, the person responsible will be given a period of six months to respond to the accusation of littering.
Additionally, failure to properly set apart waste during disposal will also attract a fine of not less than 20,000. County officers will ensure that any person whose activity generates waste shall collect, separate, and dispose of the waste in an appropriate way. Citizens are now expected to ensure that the waste is delivered to a firm responsible for the collection and disposal of waste.
However, any person whose activity generates waste must ensure that the waste is transferred to a person who is licensed to transport and dispose of the waste according to the law. To make sure that all Kenyans are sticking to these rules, the county government is required to enact a county sustainable waste management legislation.
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On the other hand, the Governors will also be expected to put waste recovery and recycling facilities. The governors are also expected to prepare a county waste management plan and quarterly monitoring reports for urban areas, municipalities, and administrative units.
