MPs claim the National Environment Management Authority has been compromised in a case where Parliament ordered the closure of London Distillers over environmental pollution.
On Tuesday, members of the National Assembly’s Implementation Committee expressed dissatisfaction with the slow pace the environmental agency is taking to implement the House report.
The MPs threatened to sanction an independent probe to ascertain complaints of environmental pollution by the distiller.
Nema officials, appearing before the committee, failed to convince MPs that residents of Erdermann Property Limited in Athi River were safe from toxic pollution.
In their submission, Nema admitted that only one site out of seven had been tested and approved while the remaining sites have not been tested due to budgetary constraints.
MPs Moitalel ole Kenta (Narok North), Godfrey Osotsi (Nominated), Simba Arati (Dagoreti North) and Nixon Korir (Lang'ata) said the laxity of the authority in implementing the parliamentary report was suspect.
“We believe strongly that you and your bosses are compromised and that is why you are dragging your feet in implementing this particular report,” Arati said.
Korir said, “We are soon asking the speaker to allow us to get a private investigator to probe this matter. It is already beyond the deadline and you have not closed it."
The Committee on Environment and National Resources in a 2018 report directed Nema, London Distillers, Machakos county government and the Environment ministry to take an appropriate intervention on the pollution issues raised including closure of the distiller.
The committee gave London Distillers six months to put in place technology for waste management or stop operations. The period elapsed in March.
The committee further directed the Athi River-based distiller to maintain high environmental standards that will ensure safe and healthy disposal of waste.
London Distillers has been embroiled in a dispute with residents of Great Wall Gardens, owned by Erdermann Property Ltd, over claims of emptying toxic waste in Athi River.
Residents accused the distiller of failure to put in place appropriate technology in the management of waste.
Appearing before the Kenta led committee on Tuesday, Ibrahim Mohamed (Environment PS) and Mamo B Mamo (acting Nema director general) requested for more time to test waste management measures.
“London Distillers will and must comply and there are no two ways to it,” Mamo said.
The committee gave both the ministry and Nema two and a half months to implement the committee’s recommendations.
Edited by R.Wamochie
