Residents give views on policy seeking to curb pollution

City residents will give views on the Nairobi City County Air Quality Policy which seeks to curb air pollution.

According to a public notice issued by County Assembly clerk Edward Gichana, interested members are required to submit their views through email or a hard copy delivered to his office before 5pm on Friday.

The Sessional Paper No.2 of 2020, Nairobi City County Air Quality Policy was laid on the assembly’s table on November 24, 2020, and was committed to the Environment and Natural resources committee for consideration.

Deputy Majority Whip Waithera Chege had earlier raised concerns that despite the county government's Air Quality Action Plan (2019-2023) intended to develop, implement and enforce air quality management, nothing had been done.

She attributed the high incidents of respiratory and heart diseases especially in informal settlements to the high levels of air pollution.

Waithera, who quoted the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics, said a child’s neuro-development was adversely affected by air pollution, leading to disorders like autism, attention deficit and hyperactivity.

“Air pollution is a perennial concern in the county because it has the greatest environmental risk to the health of the vulnerable populations,” she said

Section 5 of the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act, 2015 says every person is entitled to a clean and healthy environment and requires everybody to safeguard and enhance the quality of the environment.

The World Health Organisation in 2019 said air pollution kills an estimated seven million people worldwide.

In April 2019, Environment Cabinet Secretary Keriako Tobiko temporarily closed three firms in Nairobi to make room for investigations into similar emissions.

This was after 20 factories were inspected and suspected of emitting toxic gases that risked the lives of South B and Imara Daima residents.

Last year in May the residents decried the re-emergence of toxic emissions which might result in health complications amid the spread of Coronavirus.

As a result, The National Environment Management Authority for the second time temporarily shut down Edible Oil Product in Industrial Area over toxic emissions.

This was after a section of South B residents petitioned the agency, raising concerns over the reemergence of toxic emissions in their neighbourhoods.

Nema also revoked the company’s provisional emission license for violating air quality regulations, saying the emissions were beyond tolerable levels.

In a letter dated May 21, Nema acting director-general Mamo Boru ordered Edible Oil Product to discontinue all operations until measures are put in place to treat and control emissions to the required standards.

“Failure to comply with this order constitutes an environmental offence that is prosecutable under the laws of Kenya,” read the letter.

Nema inspectors had inspected the company on May 15 and conducted an air quality monitoring control inspection.

It was revealed that emissions by the company were causing air pollution, which directly and indirectly threatened public health.

According to Nema, the emissions contravened the provisions of the Environment Management and Coordination Act and the Environment Management and Coordination (Air Quality) Regulations, 2014, which entitle every person in Kenya to a clean and healthy environment, with a duty to safeguard and enhance the environment.

“Further note that when an offence is committed against the Act by a body corporate, the body corporate and every director or officer of the corporate who had prior knowledge of the commission of the offence and did not exercise due diligence, efficiency and economy to ensure compliance with this Act shall be guilty of an offence,” Mamo said.

Edited by Kiilu Damaris