Most severe plastic-bag penalties

With maximum fines of up to 4 million Kenyan shillings ($38,000; £28,500) or four years in jail for manufacturers, importers and distributors of single-use plastic bags (or a one-year prison sentence for even using one), Kenya currently has arguably the most draconian laws around single-use plastic bags in the world. The legislation was introduced on 28 August 2017 in response to demand from local activist groups and global agencies such as the UN Environment Programme to tackle the widespread problem of plastic bags contaminating the environment. It's postulated that prior to the ban that around 300 million plastic bags a year were distributed in Kenya (a third of which by supermarkets alone), many of which ended up as litter.

Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) estimates that 80% of the population has stopped using plastic carrier bags since the ban was introduced, while 500 people have been arrested and 300 prosecuted for plastic bag related activity.

The blanket ban has not been without its opponents, as manufacturers of plastic bags say they have had to let 60-90% of their workforces (representing almost 3% of all Kenyan jobs) go as a result of the legislation. Fabric tote bags now being advocated are around 10 times the cost of their plastic predecessors. While this has encouraged most people to utilize reusable bags, or alternative carriers such as buckets, some citizens have questioned whether it's fair that such severe penalties are being brought to bear against some of the poorest members of society and whether it tackles the root causes of plastic pollution.