Kirinyaga MCAs want a private factory suspended following numerous complaints of environmental contamination by surrounding communities.
The factory, located in Rukanga village in Mutithi, is accused of channelling untreated waste water towards a local stream, contaminating it.
Residents had presented a petition to the assembly complaining that Murango stream, which they depend upon for irrigation, has become unusable due to the contamination, affecting their livelihoods.
But when members of the Environment committee in the assembly went to assess the situation, security guards denied them entry into the factory.
The MCAs, led by deputy speaker Njinaro Njamumo, walked to the river, where they found stream water covered by a thick layer of residue flowing downstream.
Swarms of flies buzzed all over the water, with a strong foul smell covering the village.
“We came to this site on a fact-finding mission because residents of Mukangu petitioned us. We have gathered the facts and will be sitting down with the residents and other stakeholders to see how the matter can be resolved,” Njamumo said.
He noted that the contamination has killed off fish that existed in the river previously, further affecting locals’ nutrition.
The stream drains into river Sagana, which then drains into River Tana, the largest in the country, that flows for about 1,000 kilometres into the Indian Ocean, serving thousands of households along the way.
The stench sometimes reaches a nearby learning institution, forcing its management to send learners home early.
The point at which waste water flows from a private factory before flowing into Murango river in Kirinyaga countyNjamumo wondered why the National Environment Management Authority has taken no action against the factory despite residents’ reports.
“Nema has surely let these residents down. Something needs to be done as soon as possible for them to continue living normally.”
He called for the temporary closure of the company until it comes up with a waste management plan that ensures its waste is properly disposed of.
“If this doesn’t happen, we will go to court to get an order as local leaders… [so] that these residents are allowed to live in their village comfortably,” he added.
Murinduko MCA Charles Nyamu expressed his shock at the state of the river, saying the plant was operating with impunity.
He called on Nema to conduct routine inspections on processing plants operating in the county to ensure they conserve the environment.
He also challenged the public health department to consider conducting tests on the river to establish the level of contamination, expressing fears that the waste may cause water-borne diseases.
“I want to ask for forgiveness from the residents because it has taken us time to realise this problem was there and take action,” he said.
While factories are instrumental in providing jobs, there’s a need to balance and ensure they don’t adversely affect those living near them, he added.
Nyamu said the company should have acquired an exhauster to ferry the waste water into a sewerage and treatment plant or invest in a bio digester to manage it.
