Kiambu county health officials will be moving to court to sue a Chinese-owned leather company for failing to comply with the health regulations.
Times Unit Industries was to be shut down last week after it was served a notice citing health-threatening conditions.
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County public health officer Francis Mburu Macharia told star that after the end of a closure notice of 30 days dated December 13 last year, the company should either be closed since it did not make any improvements cited in the notice.
"Times Unit Industries received a closure notice dated December 13, asking the company’s director, Cheng Jin, to comply with health regulations in the leather industry or action would be taken against it, but they have not done anything accordingly", Mburu said.
He told the Star that since the company is not local and he has no powers to close it down, his office will be moving to court to file an application to have the company closed.
"We will need a court order from the court so that it does not look like we are interfering with foreign investors," Mburu added.
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The company located in Thika town had until January 13, 2018, to comply with public health requirements and recommendation by the health officers as per the Public Health Act.
Failure to comply with the order may lead to the prosecution of the company’s directors for endangering the lives of its workers.
“A sanitary inspection carried out by public Health officers on the of December 13, 2017, revealed that the tannery factory is operated under insanitary conditions contrary to the provisions of the Public Health Act 242 laws of Kenya,” read part of the notice.
The Times Unit company is accused of discharging wastewater into public sewers without pre-treatment, lacking ventilation cyclones for the premises and continued use of asbestos for roofing materials.
It was further found to have had dilapidated floors across the entire premises and having indiscriminate storage of hide and skin wastes within its compound.
The Chinese company had previously allegedly been served with two notices by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA).
NEMA director Stephen Kimutu confirmed to
the star in December that the company was under investigations over health concerns.
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