Uhuru will take action against immersion at sea

President Uhuru Kenyatta has promised to take action against the dumping of waste into lakes and oceans.

At a conference on the sustainable blue economy held in Nairobi on Monday, President Kenyatta said that continued pollution of the water mbades is hurting fish stocks while exposing Kenyans to toxic substances and impoverishing marine life.

"I am committed to meeting the challenge of managing waste and plastic pollution that endangers the health of our people and oceans, seas and rivers, while threatening food security and biodiversity on Earth and at sea, "he said.

Kenyatta's statement comes 14 months after Kenya banned the production of single-use plastic bags and pressured plastic bottle users to put in place a mechanism to facilitate collection for recycling.

He announced the formation of a committee on the blue economy.

Kenya, he said, will invest in the modernization of Kenya's Maritime School to enable it to offer advanced training to seafarers.

Kenyatta said various programs are underway to improve the livelihoods of coastal communities, including the provision of affordable housing.