James Wakibia is a Kenyan environmental activist best known for his work in advocating for the ban on single-use plastic bags in Kenya in 2017. His grassroots campaign raised awareness about plastic pollution, leading to one of the strictest plastic bag bans globally. Wakibia continues to advocate for environmental sustainability and better waste management.

James Wakibia, 35, didn’t set out to be an environmental activist. But the pollution in his hometown of Nakuru, 150 km from the Kenyan capital, eventually got so bad that he felt compelled to act.

In 2015, Wakibia started a social media campaign, using the Twitter hashtag #banplasticsKE, to call for a ban on plastics, with a focus on bags. The campaign soon won the support of Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment and Natural Resources, Judi Wakhungu, and things snowballed from there.

Wakibia has since been credited with starting the movement that led to Kenya’s nationwide ban on single-use plastic bags, which took effect in 2017. Here, he tells us about his work, his true passion, and the message he wants to send his country’s leaders.