Nema shuts down three filling stations in Bungoma, arrests six

The National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) has closed three filling stations in Bungoma County for non- compliance in a successful operation by the authority.

The operation also saw six people arrested.

Speaking to the press while on an inspection at Chwele market on Thursday, Bungoma County NEMA director Vincent Mahiva said the initiative was launched after realizing that a good number of the filling stations in Bungoma County breached legal procedures.

Mahiva cautioned those who are still defying the authority’s order that their days are numbered.

“The people who are locked up in police cells have really disturbed me, this time around they will feel the law,” Mahiva said.

The three filling stations that were closed includes; Manoah filling station in Mayanja market, Kanduyi Constituency, Mteremko in Bungoma Town and Junction Filling Station in Chwele in Kabuchai.

He says that this week , the operation targets filling stations to ensure that they comply with the authority’s requirements adding that after being tight on abattoir owners they have now complied.

“We are not harassing anybody but only saying that business operators should comply with the government’s requirements,” Mahiva noted.

Boda boda riders in Chwele market led by Fred Sitati called on those operating filling stations to comply with the Nema requirements saying that it has negatively affected their operations.

Sitati slammed some filling stations for running rogue businesses and selling fuel at illegal prices.

“If you compare these filling stations with others it is really exploiting us, they sell less fuel per litre compared to other filling stations,” Sitati said.