Nema to shut 140 firms for polluting city river
Nairobi River is choking on raw human and industrial waste.
What you need to know:
- The authority is in the process of recruiting 100 environmental inspectors and deploy 50 police officers to the Nema Police Unit, including crime scene officers, to help enforce its laws.
- Other property listed for demolition are located on Kirichwa Road, Kingara Road, Mbagathi Way and Langata Road.
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) is this month scheduled to begin the demolition and shut down of 140 companies and institutions encroaching on or discharging pollutants into Nairobi River.
The authority is in the process of recruiting 100 environmental inspectors and deploy 50 police officers to the Nema Police Unit, including crime scene officers, to help enforce its laws.
In the 'Proposed Nairobi River Pollution Control Action Plan', the authority says several factories, malls and high-end residential apartments along Nairobi River will be affected either because of encroaching on riparian land or spewing effluent into the river.
"The proposed action plan envisages adopting a two-prong approach of restoring the ecological capacity of the river. These include identification and enhanced enforcement on illegal effluent discharge to the river and regeneration and sustainable utilisation of the riparian zone," the report reads.
According to the newly appointed Nema director-general Mamo Boru Mamo, the enforcement actions will concentrate on earlier identified discharge points and new sources of pollution.
Riparian land
The process has been classified into priority stretches all the way from Dagoretti-Kabete-Kileleshwa, James Gichuru Road to Museum Road. And from Museum Road to Globe Cinema roundabout, to Ngara, Kariokor roundabout and Gikomba Market-Dandora stretch.
At least 132 properties on marked riparian land starting with a perimeter wall at a posh residential property off Waiyaki Way, and several apartments and schools in Westlands have been issued with letters.
Other property listed for demolition are located on Kirichwa Road, Kingara Road, Mbagathi Way and Langata Road,
The authority has ordered the closure of two tanneries located off Lunga Lunga Road in Industrial Area for discharging untreated effluent into Nairobi River.
A company on Olkalau Road off Nanyuki Road, which was cited for discharging effluent to the environment has been issued with a restoration order to provide details and account of all wastes generated and its management.
Other factories have been closed or cited for discharging effluent to the environment and have been summoned to Nema DCE's office.
Conduct inspections
Nema also intends to conduct inspections at various facilities in Industrial Area to investigate and establish sources of effluent discharge into Nairobi River and its tributaries.
The Nema operation will specifically target riparian encroachment by both formal and informal settlements, industrial set-ups, and other activities such as garages, farming, food kiosks, latrines, solid waste transfer stations, waste recycling and car wash.
Nema also wants to tackle the lack of sewer connections and wastewater generated directly or indirectly discharged into the river in informal settlements.
According to the action plan, Nema has conducted inspections and identified 142 illegal discharges, dumpsites and structures along the riparian reserve.
The authority has so far issued 37 environment restoration orders, 48 closure orders, 75 illegal structure demolitions, currently prosecuting thirty cases in court and demolished 22 illegal structures.
