The oil spill at the Kiboko River in Makueni county has not affected any water bodies or posed a threat to human life, preliminary results have indicated.
“It is clear water, which has been confirmed even by the National Environment Management Authority to contain no contamination,” KPC chief engineer for health, safety and environment Fredrick Ogalo said.
The Kenya Pipeline Company has been on site since March 30 when the spillage occurred on the new Sh48 billion Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline.
After repairs on the pipeline the same day, KPC started to contain effects of the leak.
It dug trenches that have been joined into rings to help monitor the area’s water table and recover products discharged into the ground.
“The direction of the flow was established by a hydrogeological survey of the site to know how underground waters are travelling in this site. It helps us to design the intervention point within the site,” Ogalo said.
There has been a weekly sampling of water in the last four weeks by both the government chemist and Bureau Veritas S. A., an international certification agency.
So far it has revealed that petroleum products did not hit water bodies,such as the Kiboko natural springs as previously feared and alleged.
KPC has also contracted the University of Nairobi to analyse samples to determine the effect of the spill on the environment and the community.
Residents want compensation from KPC.
The Water Resources Authority had last month said water from Kiboko River was unfit for human and livestock consumption.
The final sampling was done last Tuesday and KPC is awaiting clearance from a multi-agency investigation team before it starts restoration and reforestation. The entire work is expected to be completed by September.
The spill affected about 10 acres belonging to one person. The nearest river is about two kilometres away.
Last month, the Makueni county leadership and residents of Kiboko accused Kenya Pipeline of colluding with government administrators to cover up the oil spill.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr warned that the county might seek redress in court.
Meanwhile, KPC is in the last stages of issuing a tender to investigate the cause of the spill as concerns over the quality of workmanship remain unanswered.
“Management is currently putting together procurement terms and budget before it is taken out there through the Treasury. Kenyans deserve to know what happened,” KPC chairman John Ngumi told journalists in Nairobi.
He affirmed KPC's commitment to safe handling of petroleum products in the country.
The pipeline, which became operational in July last year, developed leakage problems barely a year after it began moving petroleum products from Mombasa to Nairobi.
Edited by R.Wamochie
