The river is just but one of the victims of the serious pollution problem caused by poor and careless disposal of polythene papers or plastic bags, for the last two decades. Plastic bags have served Kenyan shopper well because they are cheap and convenient, but they have been an environmental disaster.

With Kenyan supermarkets doling out 80,000 plastic bags everyday, the plastic bags- which are not biodegradable- have clogged up the sewage and drainage systems, pollute the soil and endanger marine life, and lead to the death of livestock who inadvertently swallow them while grazing.

But recent development has left many environmentalists wondering whether Kenya- home to the 2004 Nobel laureate on environment, Prof Wangari Maathai- is serious on the elimination of plastic bags.

Just three weeks after unilaterally banning the use plastic bags, the Nairobi City Council, though the Minster for Local Government, Musikari Kombo, rescinded the ban  to allow industry to clear its stock and to give time for public education.

But the upshot is that  previous attempts to ban the use of plastic bags have not only hampered by their use as the primary wrap  for virtually every shopping, but the fear of significant job losses in the sector that employs nearly 30,000 Kenyans.

In the three weeks that the ban was in force, industry players reported to have laid off  10,000 workers in a country about 35 percent unemployment rate. Kenya has 66 registered plastic bags manufacturers, but industry insiders say more than 80 manufacturers, most of them informal small-scale manufacturers, are active in the market.

About 100 million plastic bags are dispersed to the environment annually, with Nairobi receiving about two million in a city where only 25 percent of 1,500 tones of daily solid waste is collected

In 2005, the government rescinded a similar ban due to what the then environment minister, Kalonzo Musyoka, conceded that the ban had to be rescinded due massive redundancies it would cause, especially among the low income earners.

In Kenya, it is politically correct to agitate for a total ban of plastic bags. But the reality is that plastic bags came as an easy solution and since there is no alternative in sight, thus  responsible would be the first line of attack against the menace. The natural alternative to plastic is paper bags, but which in turn, poses a different danger to the environment given that it could result into the decimation of forests.

Plastic bags that replaced cartons as shopping wraps 13 years ago—have become part and parcel of Kenyan shopping and the plastic industry contributing significantly to the war against poverty through employment and distribution networks

A joint survey by the Kenya Institute for Public Policy Research and Analysis (Kippra) and the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), Kenya's environmental watchdog, revealed that supermarkets alone hand out 100 million plastic bags per year, that excluding other small outlets such as groceries and kiosks in the residential areas where majority of Kenyans get their provisions.

In an attempt to deal with the menace once more,  Finance Minister, Amos Kimunya, in his 2007/8 budget, imposed 120% excise duty on plastic bags of 30 microns and above as a means to avoid further environmental degradation.
This move, is, however, facing stiff resistance from the Kenya Association of Manufacturers (KAM), who described it as punitive, because they needed transition period to clear their stocks. 

Manufacturers had also warned that the prices for essential consumer goods such as bread and milk were likely to go up by 14% if the 120% excise duty slapped on plastic bags of 30 microns and above, as manufacturers pass the cost implications to the consumer.

It is estimated that manufacturers whose goods are affected experience losses in operating capacities up to 30%. This translated into annual loss of Ksh 40 million ($580,000) for the industry, according to Kippra.

Prior to the government climb-down City Council police had almost criminalized the carrying of plastic bags without even public education, They were lying in wait for those leaving supermarkets and arresting them, despite the fact that members of the public have no  knowledge of what micron is.

Still, a standard had already been developed and agreed upon, that phases out production of very thin bags and set the minimum thickness to 20 microns, and manufacturers as supposed to comply by January 1, next year.
Some supermarkets have introduced recyclable bags, but not all retail outlets can afford to issue shoppers with these bags due to the huge expenses involved.

Nakumatt Holdings Ltd, the proprietors of Kenya's largest chain of supermarkets, had in 2005, introduced bio-degradable shopping bags. They are specially treated with additives which make them decompose or fritter rapidly on contact with soil within a year, compared to polythene bags can take up to 1,000 years to disintegrate.
Nakumatt alone gives 30 million bags annually through their 15 branches countrywide, spending a bout $520,000 on the same every year, raising the company's operation costs by 20 percent.

As the debate over plastic bags goes on, the Kenya Bureau of Standards is proposing that a “green levy” to finance the management operations. In this scheme, the Kenya Revenue Authority (KRA) would be expected to collect tax from manufacturers with proceeds going directly to regulatory agencies to help finance environmental clean-up, set up recycling systems and waste disposal sites as well as educate consumers on waste management.