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Reprieve as court suspends ban on non-woven bags

Kongowea market
By MAUREEN KAKAH
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Kenyans on Thursday got temporary relief after the High Court suspended the ban on non-woven polypropylene carrier bags.
Justice Aaron Makau issued the directive in a case in which Importers and Small Traders Association of Kenya and two others challenged the ban imposed by the National Environmental Management Authority (Nema) on Monday.
TRADERS
“An order is hereby issued suspending Nema’s directive stopping the use, importation and supply or distribution of non-woven polypropylene bags effective from March 31 pending the hearing and determination of this case,” the judge said.
The court’s order also grants a temporary relief to traders of the bags.
The government said it will arrest the importers, producers and consumers of the popular polypropylene bags sold in supermarkets and other retail stores.
Nema said the crackdown is against ‘‘very thin, poor quality non-reusable bags”.
Nema indicated that importers, producers and consumers of the popular bags will be impounded following the imposition of the ban against their usage.
While Nema said it wants Kenyans to use environmentally friendly bags, the petitioners told court that the body did not indicate how long it will take for quality of the non-woven carrier bags to be allowed in the market.
The traders claimed that they had invested heavily in terms of capital through acquisition of machinery, raw material and labour.
They argued that the ban is bound to occasion massive job losses as well as curtail the economic rights of many Kenyans who rely on the trade of non-woven carrier bags.

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