• Affected companies were served with a closure notice.
• Last month, Nema closed three companies in Nairobi's South B area over toxic gas emission.
Image: COURTESY
Six people were on Thursday arrested from premises discharging raw waste water into sewers in Nairobi's Industrial Area following an inspection by Nema.
After investigations, three were found culpable and they will be arraigned in Kibera law court tomorrow, Nema head of corporate communications Evans Nyabuto said.
They are Siraj Sharrif of Ma's Tanners Ltd, Benard Nyamae - supervisor of Nairobi Tanners Ltd and James Kamorho of Far Horizon hides and skins.
They were taken to Langata police station.
The affected companies were served with a closure notice.
Nema has been inspecting premises to weed out companies polluting rivers.
In Machakos, Governer Alfred Mutua on Monday launched a crackdown on factories polluting rivers across the county.
Mutua said as much as he supports the growth of industries and manufacturing, things must be done in an ethical and proper manner.
Most of the rivers affected by pollution caused by inappropriate dumping of industrial waste are in Mavoko, Yatta and Matungulu subcounties.
Last month, Nema closed three companies in Nairobi's South B area over toxic gas emission.
Powerex, Edibles Oils and UsafiPlus were closed down indefinitely.
A week earlier, Environment CS Keriako Tobiko ordered a probe of the factories near the estate following complaints from residents.
The CS directed the National Environmental Complaints Committee led by John Chumo and Nema to investigate the matter.
Nema gave the closure notices because UsafiPlus did not have an environmental audit from 2016 to date. Tobiko said on Tuesday the committee would do a follow up on the companies.
UsafiPlus workers lacked protective gear and the firm lacked records on air quality assessment. The company did not also have a valid license from Nema for the incineration.