Kisumu Governor Anyang' Nyong'o has issued an executive order regulating the harvesting of sand, rocks and soil.
The directive will allow collection of revenues at designated sand harvesting sites and along the roads. The order takes effect immediately.
A statement from the governor's press unit said Nyong'o wants to provide a framework to ensure sustainable sand, rocks, murram and soil harvesting and all forms of quarrying activities in Kisumu.
The order establishes a nine-member county sand harvesting and management committee to be chaired by the Environment executive.
Other members of the committee will be an officer designated by Nema, chief officers for Finance, Environment, Roads and Health and the director of revenue.
Head of county inspectorate and county attorney will sit in the commitee.
The team is mandated to licence and register all those who wish to engage in any sand harvesting activities, maintain a register and advice the county executive committee on the structure and operations of sand harvesting and related activities.
The committee shall ensure that sand harvesting activities are compliant with the law.
“The committee shall formulate environmental conservation programmes in relation to sand harvesting and at the same time designate and gazette sand harvesting areas, which include designated roads for transportation of sand and other excavated material,” the statement reads.
All vehicles transporting sand shall strictly use designated roads.
“Sand harvesting shall be restricted to the riverbeds and no such harvesting shall be allowed on riverbanks. Only persons who have attained the age of 18 years and residing within the local community may be employed as sand loaders.”
