Single-use plastic bags are illegal in Kenya and have largely disappeared from many parts of the country. However, there is still a black market for them and, thanks to smugglers, they are easy to find in shops and markets in the North Rift region. The National Environmental Complaints Committee (NECC) has revealed that the permeable border between Kenya and Uganda remains an entry point for the banned bags. In Trans Nzoia, the problem is serious, with rogue business people still selling the bags. Trans Nzoia Nema County Director Stanley Ambasa regretted that although single-use plastic bags were banned in August 2017, some rogue business people still manage to sidestep the system and sneak them in. "It is true polythene bags were banned in this country, but you are all aware plastic bags have not been banned in Uganda. The bags find their way to Kenya through the porous border," he said.