A group of human rights and environmental organizations in Kenya has concerns about a growing public health crisis caused by the reuse of unsafe glass bottles in the country’s beverage industry.
The groups warn that millions of Kenyans may be exposed to deadly microbes and toxins due to poor regulation and negligence.
The organizations, led by Caleb Ngwena of the Genesis Human Rights Commission, accuse the Kenya Bureau of Standards (KEBS) and public health regulators of allowing contaminated glass bottles to return to the market without proper sterilization. They claim that this widespread reuse of glass bottles poses serious risks to consumer health and safety.
Speaking in Mombasa, the group condemned the lack of oversight in Kenya’s beverage bottling industry, emphasizing that government inaction is putting lives at risk.
“This is not just a case of poor hygiene, it is a dangerous failure of governance that threatens the health of millions of Kenyans who consume beverages in reused glass bottles,” said Ngwena.
Investigations by the rights groups reveal that many glass bottles are being recovered from garbage dumps, sewage-infested areas, and dirty storage sites, only to be refilled and returned to the market without detoxification, sterilization, or any official inspection.
“These reused bottles, often filled with unverified beverages, can contain harmful pathogens, toxic chemicals, and dirt, posing serious health threats, including foodborne illnesses and chemical poisoning,” said Ngwena.
Their demands include: prevention of reuse of unsafe glass bottles in the country, Conducting public audits of all beverage bottling companies to ensure proper sanitization of reused bottles, and the requirement of clear labeling on all reused glass bottles to inform Kenyan consumers.
They also want the government to impose penalties or shut down companies that sell drinks in unsterilized reused bottles and launch a nationwide awareness campaign to educate the public on risks of reusing glass bottles.
The organizations warn that failure to implement these safety measures will result in mass protests, advocacy campaigns, and legal actions targeting regulatory agencies and beverage companies that reuse unsafe bottles.
“This is a warning, if KEBS and public health officials do not act, we will hold them accountable through legal and civil channels. Unsafe bottle reuse must end now,” they warned.
