Interior CS Fred Matiangi on Wednesday cautioned residents of Embu town to stop discharging their wastes into water channels.
Matiangi said it is a matter of time they catch up with the culprits once the framework to enforce being worked out by Ministry of water and Environment is out.
“Once we receive the framework of enforcement after the ongoing mapping on waterways and areas where people have deliberately polluted rivers and water sources m, we shall move with speed to enforce it without fear or favour,” said Matiangi.
The Cabinet Secretary however called on those discharging effluent into rivers to stop before the law catches up with them.
The CS noted that Kenyans have a tendency of giving excuses of not keeping the environment clean.
“What money do you need to clean your house or your environment, why do you need someone to pay you to clean where you stay, we are not going to hand over the dirty and polluted country to our children,” he said.
He challenged Kenyans to support President’s Uhuru Kenyatta greening Kenya campaign while urging water service providers to be on the forefront in supporting tree planting campaigns.
Matiangi who was officially opening the 10th edition of Water Companies Sport Organisation Games at Embu stadium said the president has committed to the world to ensure the country surpasses the 10% forest cover by 2022, an obligation which cannot be met by the ministry of the environment alone.
“We cannot surpass the 10% forest cover if we assume it is the responsibility of Ministry of Environment, it is our collective responsibility,” he added.
Matiangi further directed the administration to seriously engage in tree planting in their areas of jurisdiction adding that this will be a key performance indicator for chiefs and their assistants.
Speaking in the same function Cabinet Secretary for water, Simon Chelugui noted that Kenya is among the nations in the world with lowest renewable freshwater sources standing at less than 452 cubic metres per capita.
“Water resources both surface and groundwater continue to diminish due to increasing demand and effects of climate change hence calling for prudent use of available water resources,” said Chelugui.
On non-revenue water, the CS said this is a major priority of his docket adding that Kenya is losing approximately Sh7 Billion annually through non-water revenue.
Chelugui added that his ministry is developing a National Sanitation Policy which is at public participation stage aimed at cleaning our rivers beginning with Nairobi river.
The WASCO games which kicked off yesterday have brought together 52 water companies across the country and will end on August 23rd.
