Embu Water and Sanitation Company services on Friday stopped for about eight hours after its two managers were prosecuted for operating it without a valid effluent discharge licence.
The public institution supplies residents with water and provides sanitation services. The managers were arrested on Tuesday afternoon. Officers from the National Environment Management Authority accompanied the police.
Hundreds of workers accused Nema of acting maliciously. They disrupted services at the company’s headquarters in Embu town and gathered at the Embu law courts in solidarity with their seniors as waited to be charged. Only a few employees stayed behind at the company offices.
Technical manager Felix Gitonga and head of operations Chirstopher Kamuruaana were booked in at the Embu police station. They were charged on Wednesday before resident magistrate Jean Ndengeri.
The court heard that on July 16, they were found to be operating without a valid effluent discharge licence issued, hence violating the law.
They denied the charges. They were allowed Sh150,000 bond or Sh100, 000 bail. The case will be heard on Tuesday.
Later on Wednesday, the striking staff caused a heavy traffic jam after they started marching back to their offices about 300 metres from the court.
