This archive report was first published on 15 May 2020.
Kenya's war on plastic pollution has received a boost with the Treasury allocating Sh20 million to finance the removal of plastics in the country's protected areas.
The funds have been allocated to the environment and wildlife department to help clear plastic waste in the financial year starting July 1.
According to budget estimates, a further Sh20 million will be spent in removing plastic waste in 2021/22 and a similar amount in 2022/23 financial years.
The ban on single-use plastic, which was announced by President Uhuru Kenyatta in June 2019, aims to minimize pollution of urban spaces, forests, and water bodies.
Kenya imposed the ban on polythene carrier bags on August 28, 2017, and two years later, the country banned the use of all single-use plastic in conservation areas, which took effect on June 5, 2019.
Protected areas in Kenya, which cover about eight percent of the country's land mass, include forests, wetlands, savannah, marine, arid, and semi-arid ecosystems.
