If President William Ruto’s government’s proposal becomes law, every Kenyan might be sentenced to prison.
The Kenya Kwanza administration intends to implement the Sustainable Waste Management Act, which will mandate every Kenyan household to have at least three trash cans to separate waste for recycling.
The Sustainable Waste Management Act envisions a condition in which all Kenyan families divide their garbage into three categories: dry waste, organic waste, and hazardous waste.
Kenyans who violate the law are regarded to have committed an offense and, upon conviction, are punishable to a fine not exceeding Ksh20,000 or imprisonment for a term not exceeding six months, or both.
The legislation also seeks to regulate how Kenyans dispose of rubbish. The law intends to ensure that Kenyans only use licensed garbage service firms and dispose of rubbish at approved pickup places.
Similarly, the law attempts to give county governments sole authority over the development, management, and maintenance of approved disposal sites and landfills.
The law also attempts to demand that counties keep a register of all trash service businesses operating within their jurisdiction.
The rule was prompted by the country’s aspirations to shift to a circular economy model, according to analysts.
This entails ensuring that the government is continually looking for innovative ways to deal with garbage by turning it into something valuable.
While many manufacturing enterprises are currently implementing the Act, it is difficult to obtain quality garbage because the country has historically not had a culture that fosters sustainable waste disposal, putting them at risk of imprisonment.
