Kenya:Ruto Calls for Urgent Eradication of Plastics

By Samuel Ouma

Kenyan President William Ruto has urged for an immediate global tackle of plastics.

Ruto spoke during the opening of the Third Session of the Inter-Governmental Negotiating Committee on Ending Plastic Pollution at the United Nations Office in Nairobi.

According to Ruto, plastic pollution is a growing challenge that negatively impacts people's health and biodiversity.

Plastic pollution, he said, is also affecting livelihoods in addition to suffocating marine life.

“We must embrace innovative technologies that encourage more reuse of plastic waste for a sustainable future for all,” said President William Ruto.

The Kenyan leader urged manufacturers and innovators to look for non-plastic alternatives that are not environmentally harmful.

In 2017, Kenya became one of the 34 African countries that banned single-use plastics. Many countries, including the United Nations, lauded the ban as a groundbreaking measure.

However, the ban has yet to address the country's pollution problems because it excludes many other types of plastic, such as bottles, trash bags, and takeout containers.

As a result, garbage pickers and environmentalists have been tasked with collecting plastic debris strewn everywhere.

For example, in Kenya's capital, Nairobi, an estimated 2,400 tons of solid garbage is created daily, with plastic accounting for 20% of that total.

Only 45% of the city's garbage is recycled, repurposed, or turned into a form that can provide an economic or environmental benefit.

The remainder wind up in rivers, lakes, seas, and on land, endangering millions of lives.