All protected areas will be declared plastic free in due course, the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has announced.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Judy Wakhungu today said that the move is aimed at slowing down disposition of plastic, especially plastic bottles, in forests and conserved areas following the ban that has been effective for the past three weeks.
Speaking at Karura Forest, which was declared plastic free, Wakhungu said that people who go to such settings for recreation will be expected to declare the number dishes and bottles carried that are plastic upon entry.
This, according to the CS, ensures that no plastics are left at the national conservancies, nature walks and protected areas.
“We want all protected areas to be plastic free and so far, Karura Forest and Nairobi National Park are already settling in for the plastic free life. We have seen it working and we are taking steps towards achieving this because we are still transitioning,” stated Wakhungu.
At the same time, Friends of Karura Association Chair Professor Karanja Njoroge said that plastic bottles make up most of the plastic rubbish polluting the forest.