This archive report was first published on 1 November 2021.
Kenya Cracks Down on Scrap Metal Export ¶
November 2, 2021
Kenya has taken a tough stance on the export of scrap metals, with two truck drivers facing up to 20 years in jail or a fine of Sh20 million each for transporting scrap batteries to Tanzania without a licence.
The drivers, Isaack Njama and Francis Njoroge, admitted to the charges in a Loitoktok court, where they were charged with transporting scrap metal without a licence from the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).
The owners of the two trucks transporting the scrap batteries will also forfeit the vehicles to the State, according to the Scrap Metals Act, which was enacted in 2015 to support the retention of raw materials for value addition.
The legislation provides stringent conditions under which exports of lead would be permitted, and automotive battery manufacturers have been pushing for its full implementation to safeguard jobs.
Scrap metal dealers have opted to use unmanned porous borders to transport the items after the police and the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) tightened inspection at the border points.
Busia, Namanga, Taveta, and Lungalunga border points have been identified as the main routes used by unscrupulous traders to drive the illegal scrap metal trade.
Nema director-general Mamo Nama said that the authority, in partnership with other relevant government agencies, had adopted an intelligence-based enforcement approach, where they gather intelligence before striking.
Automotive battery manufacturers rely on lead extracted and recycled to make the batteries, referred to as recycling SLABs.
The East African region has two lead-acid battery manufacturers, namely Associated Battery Manufacturers (ABM) and Uganda Batteries Limited (UBL), which produce about 30 percent of the East African market requirement.
