PLASTIC CARRIER/FLAT BAGS BAN: OPPORTUNITIES FOR BUSINESS.

On 28^thFebeuary, 2017, the government of Kenya banned the use,manufacture and importation of all plastic bags used for commercial and household packaging defined as follows: carrier bags and flat bags. This has in return created a wave of uncertainty despite the fact that there has been a conversation around the use of plastic bags for over ten years.

After the gazette Notice was issued, Kenya Association of Manufacturers and Consumer Federation of Kenya issued a statement on the same. See the KAM statement here: 

http://www.kam.co.ke/local-manufacturers-not-consulted-ban-plastic-bags/

Whereas I am not a trained environmentalist, I have a passion for the environment and this explains why I had to take my dad heads on when he threw a plastic soda bottle through the car window on our way from the village to the Capital City-Nairobi. I had to let him know that he has no right to complain that our drainage is clogged during the rainy season as he is part of the problem. Whereas this was a dad-son conversation, I am sure that he will in future restrain himself from doing so. I was lucky to have mum on board as she knows very well where my heart is when it comes to matters environment. My mum runs a small roadside grocery shop where she uses plastic carrier bags a lot. In this regard, Mrs. Me (My wife) and I have this deal; dispose not any plastic carrier bags if they have not shifted to the second or third hand. To make sure that this deal sees the light of the day, we ensure that 99% of our super market branded carrier bags are collected and when we have a substantial amount of them, we take them to mum where in return she gives them to customers who buy large quantities of groceries.

 

The battle goes beyond large sizes of paper bags. Whereas the carrier bags and the flat bags are the ones that have been banned, I have in the past had to make my wife understand why she comes across sweet wrappers and Njugu Karanga wrappers in my pockets as she does her laundry. This is for the simple reason that I don’t  throw away such papers carelessly but have to carry them home and in return put them in our dustbin save for the few  times that I forget doing so and am sure this irritates her! Am however glad that she now understands why and she is now my partner in plastic paper waste management.

For an observant person, a visit to City Park Hawkers market makes one notice a unique shopping trend. In here, Indian shoppers usually come with large baskets that they use to do their shopping hence minimizing the use of Plastic bag carriers. Whereas I have not had time to inquire whether this is a cultural trend or a calculated move to reduce use of plastic bags, the shopping trend cannot go un noticed and the role that it plays in conserving our environment cannot be ignored as this is ‘not very Kenyan’.

Recently, the sad reality hit me once more on my way from Nairobi to the village as the matatu driver who was ferrying us first threw a soda bottle, later bought sugar cane and after chewing the same threw the trash through the window and to add salt to injury, another young lady who was in the same matatu threw her yoghurt packages through the window with less care. In short, the level of awareness on plastic paper waste management is very low and I hope NEMA and other agencies will be working on this within the six months set dead line.

  

At another shopping center, i met Wachira, my long time business buddy who sells Kerosene and plastic papers and asked him how he was planning to survive beyond the ban. Whereas he was blank, we had to agree that he has to now find opportunities to make money beyond the ban hence he must start to scout for alternatives and cash in on the same. 

 

Whereas much of the conversation has been on how difficult it will be to enforce this ban, Rwanda government launched a policy to ban all non-biodegradable plastic from the country several years ago.  In the year 2008, while the rest of the world was barely starting to consider a tax on single-use plastic bags, the small East African Nation decided to ban them completely-The Guardian.  At the Airport, agents from the Rwanda Environmental Management Authority ensure that that no one takes in plastic paper into this clean country. Since 2008, anyone arriving in Rwanda is ordered to give up their plastic or have it confiscated. Flight attendants pre-warn passengers as they land in the capital Kigali and authorities are braces to seize this new form of contraband at the border with other African Nations.-France254.com. In return Rwanda was awarded the cleanest city in Africa by U.N. Habitat but this came at a cost. See: https://qz.com/509948/kigali-is-africas-cleanest-city-but-that-comes-at-a-heavy-price/

In Kenya, Solid Waste management is a multi-billion cartel controlled venture where resistance from such quotas will be expected. Despite the existence of a National Solid Waste Management Strategy in Kenya, plastic papers form a bulk of this waste that even the 200 Million exercise duty collected by the government cannot foot the cost of managing it. Whereas this is a serious headache, plastic Carrier bags manufacturers will be expected to put up a spirited fight too.

However, the government must enlist the support  of all stakeholders like it did during the second generation brew fight if the ban is to see the light of the day. Milk vendors, groceries vendors and Kerosene vendors will also be expected to play a huge role if the ban is to bear fruit. Like petrol stations, they must insist that one has to come with a plastic bottle or jerry can if he/she has to purchase these products.  Proper training of enforcement officers especially those at the boarders will also be a welcome move but without a well laid down anti-corruption strategy, several setbacks will be expected as black markets will thrive under the watch of the same enforcement officers. 

 

The government should also move with speed to support private sector ventures that are involved in plastic paper recycling whereas companies that used to manufacture such bags must be given tax incentives and encouraged to start recycling plants too. Revival of the Sisal Industry will also go a long way towards ensuring that the ban is sustainable whereas use of reeds, water hyacinth and other locally available bio-degradable materials will create more options for consumers of shopping carriers. There is a very huge opportunity for the women and youth groups to cash in on this ban. Kiondo that has almost become extinct is bound to re surface where with minimum modification; they urban folks will not find it difficult to carry it as they head for shopping.

Women weaving Kiondos

The Pessimist complains about the wind; the Optimist expects it to change; the Realist adjusts the sails.-William Arthur.

WATER: A SHARED RESPONSIBILITY.

On  14^th March 2017 I left my home village-Kiaritha and headed to Kangaita Village from where my second visit to various water projects would start. This is a journey that started a while ago. See this link:

http://kaberemartin.blogspot.co.ke/2017/03/save-river-rutui-in-kirinyaga-county.html

A look at the Kenya National Water Development report 2005, prepared for the 2^nd UN World Water Development Report  ‘Water: A shared Responsibility’ (2006), Kenya is classified as a water scarce country with only 647 cubic meters of renewable fresh water per capita. The same is characterized by high spatial and temporal variability and extremes of droughts and floods. Water resources contribute enormously to the economic productivity and social well being of human populace as both social and economic activities rely heavily on the quantity and quality of water.-Professor George O. Krhoda.

Dry section of River Mukengeria

In our context and as Professor George O. Krhoda noted, we have reached  to a point where availability of water is a limiting factor for development in Kirinyaga County. Whereas the prevailing weather conditions have played a role in the existing problem, I would want to look at Rivers whose source is  Mt Kenya Forest. Mt Kenya Forest as a water tower (199,558 Ha, 12.1%) is the second largest water tower after the Mau Complex (400,000 Ha,24.5%)- Kenya National Water Development report 2005,Pg 202. Mt Kenya Forest water catchment area must be properly managed so as to retain it’s capacity to supply good quality water all year round.

Effects of Human activity on this Catchment area.

A look at the human activities along Rivers Thiba, Mukengeria, and Kiringa paints a grim picture of what  our future will look like. The Fencing of Mt Kenya Forest may have been a great move but what happens inside the forest offers no much hope in the long run.

 

For a legal*/Illegal* fee, one can get into the forest to collect firewood but there is more than collecting this precious commodity. From my sources, i was informed that deep inside the forest, illegal logging, charcoal burning and poaching still goes on but to my surprise, my guide told me that the Kenya Forest Service officers are aware of such activities as this illicit trade adds some extra coins in their pockets.  The target species in this illicit trade are the hard wood trees that are used to make highly priced timber whereas others are used for wooden posts that are smuggled out of the forest at night at the cost of Ksh 120-150 but fetch Ksh 250 once successfully smuggled into the timber yards.  The Long term effect of cutting down these trees will be that the rivers will start drying right from the source. 

(The other sad thing that I heard is that some women who come to fetch firewood here are often sexually harassed (sex for firewood) and even raped but these cases are rarely reported. This is the same fate that befalls girls who are arrested inside the same forest especially when schools are closed) Let me leave it at that point as these allegations are unconfirmed.

Flow modifications.

The uncontrolled commissioning of water projects along the rivers has had a negative impact on the natural flow of the rivers downstream. Dams alter the flow, temperature and sediment in river systems. Reduced flow alters aquatic habitats – reducing or removing populations of fish, invertebrates and plants that depend on the flow to bring food. Reduced flow also decreases tributary stream flow, changing habitats and altering the water table in the stream aquifer. Consequently, riverside vegetation may be affected and decline in numbers. This may affect animal biodiversity, for example, bird species may leave the area if their habitat is lost or altered.- https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/440-human-impact-on-rivers

The above means that there are Water projects downstream that are solely drawing water from tributaries which mean that we have areas along the river  that are completely dry as a result of such projects-Case of Kiganjo project along River Rutui. This also means that other people who were to benefit from natural flow of rivers end up suffering from lack of water which is a possible source of conflict if the prevailing drought situation persists. One of the affected farmers shared with me his pains where he noted that that he is suffering yet the river flows right next to his shamba. Arrow roots that used to grow by the river banks are no more hence no food or source of revenue for people downstream and as a researcher notes:  Rivers are connected systems, and barriers such as dams, culverts and floodgates disconnect one area from another,notes siencelearn.org.nz

Along the river banks the blue gum tree has been planted in numbers despite an order by the authorities that such trees be cut down and the effect has been that the river beds that used to ooze water are no more doing so.

Existing studies show that the blue gum tree reduces water yield  and depletes soil moisture especially during dry weather compared to natural grass land that is fast disappearing along the rivers beds. As if this is not enough the already diminishing resource has been subjected to ever increasing water projects that are not sustainable all year round as we even came across abandoned projects. The remaining projects are running far below capacity as some of them are relying on water from small ‘wells’ along the river banks. Remains of logs that may have been ferried by water downstream are still visible which is a sure sign that water volumes usually get high and the current situation may not be a reflection of what these rivers are when the rainy season comes.

Another notable trend is that more land is being reclaimed for farming along the river banks and the long term effect will be disastrous. The clearing of forests to produce farmland has led to on-going erosion, with large quantities of sediment deposited into rivers. Agricultural intensification (substantial increases in fertiliser application and increased stock numbers) has resulted in nutrient and chemical loss to nearby streams and rivers. Elevated nutrient concentrations (especially nitrogen and phosphorus – key components of fertilisers) can result in the eutrophication of slow-moving waterways.- https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/440-human-impact-on-rivers

Our visit revealed that there are opportunities for tourism that are yet to be exploited especially inside the forest where these rivers offer scenic views,sport fishing opportunities, hiking and general adventure if we prudently use this resource.  

A look at the Kirinyaga County Government website reveals that there exists a Ministry of  Water,  Environment and Natural resources- http://www.kirinyaga.go.ke/environment.html but did not see any water resources management master plan in here.

 Human impact on rivers is large-scale process that leads to diverse negative consequences.
There are following ways of such impact: 

1) river flow redistribution in
time; 

2) river flow redistribution in space; 

3) river flow withdrawal; 

4) physical disturbance
of river-beds; 

5) pollution;

 6) water clogging;

 7) thermal pollution.- S M. Govorushko
Director of EIA Centre, Pacific Geographical Institute, 7 Radio St.,
Vladivostok, 690041, Russia; e-mail: sgovor@tig.dvo.ru

The Story of the Hummingbird, as told by celebrated Kenyan environmental activist, women’s rights advocate, and 2004 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Professor Wangari Maathai in this clip from Dirt! The Movie:- http://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/wangari-maathai-i-will-be-a-hummingbird

We are constantly being bombarded by problems that we face and sometimes we can get completely overwhelmed.
The story of the hummingbird is about this huge forest being consumed by a fire. All the animals in the forest come out and they are transfixed as they watch the forest burning and they feel very overwhelmed, very powerless, except this little hummingbird. It says, ‘I’m going to do something about the fire!’ So it flies to the nearest stream and takes a drop of water. It puts it on the fire, and goes up and down, up and down, up and down, as fast as it can.

In the meantime all the other animals, much bigger animals like the elephant with a big trunk that could bring much more water, they are standing there helpless. And they are saying to the hummingbird, ‘What do you think you can do? You are too little. This fire is too big. Your wings are too little and your beak is so small that you can only bring a small drop of water at a time.’
But as they continue to discourage it, it turns to them without wasting any time and it tells them, ‘I am doing the best I can.’

And that to me is what all of us should do. We should always be like a hummingbird. I may be insignificant, but I certainly don’t want to be like the animals watching the planet goes down the drain. I will be a hummingbird, I will do the best I can.

SAVE RIVER RUTUI IN KIRINYAGA COUNTY

 Water and Sanitation

Water issues affect us all, from the women who spend hours a day fetching water to political battles over international rivers to melting icepack and rising sea levels. We are all downstream.

Worldwide, just under 900 million people lack reliable access to safe water that is free from disease and industrial waste. And 40 percent do not have access to adequate sanitation facilities. The result is one of the world's greatest public health crises: 4,500 children die every day from waterborne diseases, more than from HIV-AIDS, malaria, and tuberculosis combined.

A robust economy depends on water. So does a thriving ecosystem. Enter politics, fulcrum of the water issue, weighing the fate of economies against the health of individuals and of the environment as a whole. Balance has been elusive. One fifth of the world's population lives in areas where water is physically scarce, and a quarter of the population faces shortages due to lack of infrastructure.- http://pulitzercenter.org

Wangari Mathai fought for Uhuru Park when most people wondered why a woman should stand firm and challenge the then President Mzee Moi who had his way in almost everything that either him or his cronies conceived. Thanks to her boldness and love for the environment, we now have Uhuru Park where a good number of visitors enjoy the fruits of her hard fight. We also have Karura Forest thanks to the boldness of this daughter of the soil who also founded a movement that planted over 47 Million trees worldwide according to ecology.com

Why the long story then? On Tuesday 06/03/2017, I took a cup of water direct from a tap in my village homestead now that since childhood, that was the norm and I do not remember any single day where we had to avoid doing so not unless there was a Cholera outbreak. Soon after taking the water, I had a terrible stomach ache that left me asking myself what could have gone wrong only for my younger brother to tell me that this water is no longer safe to drink. I fetched a second cup and looking through, I saw greenish* matter in the water and this broke my heart. In this case, I will look at one reason why we found ourselves here: Increase in the number of water projects that draw water from River Rutui.

 

This is where the problem started: When growing up, we had safe and clean water running from our taps but with treated water being something of the past in many homesteads, many people formed groups that have in return initiated water projects that have been a source of water for domestic use and that for irrigation. This water is not treated as it flows direct from the river to the homesteads. Wangari Maathai once said; we need to promote development that does not destroy our environment. These golden words may not be known to many people who came up with these projects or they simply ignored the words.  The reason why am saying this is that there should have been some precautionary measures in place to ensure that smooth flow of water is maintained in any season of the year.

Dry section of Rutui River.

River Rutui has been on the receiving end as it hosts several projects that have in return resulted to the drying up of some sections of the river to a point where some of the projects are receiving water from tributaries that cannot deliver the water volume that is needed to sustain these projects. In return, the river has been blocked at the intakes to a point where people who used to benefit from the smooth flow of the river are no longer beneficiaries of this natural resource. I spoke to some of these people and the reality is that they are suffering from inside and if the current dry situation persists, we may see such stakeholders get into conflict with such projects. Like the Late Wangari Maathai said, I don’t know why I care so much but something from inside tells me that there is a problem and I have to do something about this hence the decision to do this blog. "I freed a thousand slaves I could have freed a thousand more if only they knew they were slaves." —Harriet Tubman

Project funded by  Federal Republic of Germany:

What we are seeing in the Arid and Semi-Arid areas may be replicated here now that Rutui River may not sustain such projects and at the same time flow downstream. Quarries have emerged where the river used to flow downstream, waterfalls are no more, childhood swimming spots are no more and the river can no longer support any aquatic life for now.  I visited three project water intake points   but I was informed that there are other six intakes in a distance of approximately 10 Kilometres from the last one that I visited. The reality is that the river is fast drying up and action must be taken. 

See evidence here: Karia Irrigation Project Intake

I was informed that an order to cut down a certain tree species that endanger the life of the river was issued and has been complied with to some extent. Another order to see to it that individual projects draw water from the river on certain days on alternative shifts has been ignored hence all of them are running despite minimal water flow hence rendering the projects in effective. In short, there is so much that needs to be done for the present and future generations to continue benefiting from water resources without endangering such resources.

This is another dry section of the river just after the intake.

After sharing my worries on my Facebook page, I established that the same fate has befallen other rivers in Kirinyaga County. The sad thing is that even at the foot of Mt Kenya, rivers are fast drying up, some Rice fields are no more in Mwea, small scale irrigation projects are no more downstream and am sure that there  are other negative effects of mismanagement of this valuable resource that I have not stated here.

We also have quarries now on the river banks where the no one could set foot as water volume was always high. See the photo below:

As this all happens Water Resources Management Authority (WRMA) Mandate is as posted below:

The Authority shall have the following powers and functions:—

• to develop principles, guidelines and procedures for the allocation of water resources;
• to monitor, and from time to time reassess, the national water resources management strategy;
• to receive and determine applications for permits for water use;
• to monitor and enforce conditions attached to permits for water use;
• to regulate and protect water resources quality from adverse impacts;
• to manage and protect water catchments;
• in accordance with guidelines in the national water resources management strategy, to determine charges to be imposed for the use of water from any water resource;
• to gather and maintain information on water resources and from time to time publish forecasts, projections and information on water resources;
• to liaise with other bodies for the better regulation and management of water resources;
• to advise the Minister concerning any matter in connection with water resources.

In order for WRMA to undertake its stipulated responsibilities, the Act provides for decentralized and stakeholder involvement. This will be implemented through regional offices of the Authority based on drainage basins (catchment areas) assisted by Catchment Area Advisory Committees (CAACs). At the grassroots level, stakeholder engagement will be through Water Resource User Associations (WRUAs).

In The case of River Rutui, what has WRMA done to arrest this situation? Someone enlighten me please-TIA.

In the short run, if the drought situation persists, then this could be the solution.

  

Sometimes we've to take a step back to save others.-Atanas