Uganda is a country in east Africa with a population of about 20 million, plastics bags have been around in Uganda as far as I can remember, they are commonly called “kaveera’ in uganda. However plastic bags have caused threat to the citizens of Uganda, they pose a danger to the environment and violates the rights of the citizens of Uganda to a clean and healthy environment.They have contributed to the largest pollution in Uganda, in that 75% of the rubbish on the kampala streets which is the capital city of Uganda is plastic bags which results to pollution and then affecting the environment.
New vision news paper pg 7 2006). KAMPALA, Uganda, November 12, 2012 (ENS) – The High Court of Uganda has determined that “the rampant and uncontrolled use of polythene bags” poses a danger to the environment and “violates the rights of citizens of Uganda to a clean and healthy environment. ” In a case brought before the court by the nongovernmental group Greenwatch in 2002, Judge Eldad Mwangusya ruled in October that plastic bags are a danger to the citizens of Uganda and he urged the government to pass a law against them “as a matter of urgency.Plastic have also posed danger to animal life in Uganda, fishing is one of the sources of income for most Ugandans and plastic bags seems to affect the life of fish in the lakes which the people of Uganda earn a living and sometimes fish is exported to other countries, hence increasing foreign exchange and also providing employment to the citizens who may work in these fish factories around the country. (Acorrding to the ministry of land and fishing in Uganda report on the dangers of plastic to the industry 2007). Hence plastics bags are a big problem to the citizens of Uganda.
Though the government have tried to ban the use, manufacture or distribution of plastic bags but in vain, non-profitable organizations (like the Greenwatch), though by june 2007 the after the greenwatch filed its lawsuit against use of plastic bags, the government banned the use, distribution and manufacturing of plastic bags, but all was in vain to today(Monitor newspaper april 2009). Plastic bags less than 30 mircons were banned but parliament didn’t pass the law to implement the ban. Instead the manufacturers have increased the size of the plastic bags to 31 mirons which is a big threat.Greenwatch investigators june 2010).
Suffocation , plastic bags not only cause life threat to animals in Uganda but also children who without supervision can easily suffocate on these plastic bags, some children play a lot where plastics bags are dumped ,(According to environmental law alliance oct 2010),this is very threating issue caused by the use of plastic bags and hence this should be approached by the government of Uganda as a matter of urgency to protect it’s citizens. Laws should be put in place to ban the use ,distribution of plastic bags in Uganda as soon as possible.More so plastic bags have caused pollution to the environment in Uganda more than anything else, measures should be taken to end the use of plastic bags given the disadvantages they pose to the citizens of Uganda. Fumes, since plastic bags can’t be destroyed the only way to get rid of them is by burning them which causes fumes to the environment which is a danger as while. (According to the environmental law alliance group of lawyers june 2009).
This causes to the degrading of the environment violating the rights of the citizens to live in a healthy environment free from pollution.Though the Ugandan parliament tried to cut funds to the ministry of water and environment, if they didn’t encourage the ban of plastic bags, but still no law was put in place to end the use of plastic bags. More so they have made the city to be more untidy than before so this should be attacked as a issue of urgency in Uganda. (ugandan’s daily newspaper article pg 6 feb 2010). In conclusion given the many dangers caused by the use ,distribution of plastic bags in Uganda, they should encourage proper use of plastic bags and recycling and the re-use of all plastics to protect the environment and the citizens of Uganda.
Therefore the government should pass a law to ban the use or distribution of plastics and encourage the use of paper bags which are not a danger to environment and the citizens of Uganda. The government should also ban the manufacturing of these plastic bags and encourage the use of bags which are less than 30 mircons. Shopping bags should be encouraged too since you can reuse it as many times as you want unlike plastic bags, so I believe plastic bags should be banned in Uganda and be approached with such urgency for the wellbeing of the citizens of Uganda.
