Nairobi — Two traders have been arrested in Embu town with 4,995 banned plastic carrier bags in a fresh crackdown by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

The two were arraigned in court to face charges of being in possession of the prohibited bags, NEMA said, warning traders and members of the public against violating the ban.

The arrests underscore the authority's continued enforcement of regulations restricting the manufacture, importation, exportation, use and sale of plastic carrier and flat bags without a licence.

Under Section 144 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) and the Environmental Management and Coordination (Management and Control of Plastic Packaging Materials) Regulations, 2024, offenders face a prison term of between one and four years, or a fine ranging from Sh2 million to Sh4 million, or both.

NEMA cautioned that anyone found manufacturing, importing, exporting, using, or selling the prohibited bags without the required licence would be liable to prosecution.

The authority urged the public to comply with the regulations, warning that violations attract severe penalties.