Sand harvesters will have to form cooperatives and seek approval from the National Environment Management Authority to be allowed to operate, CAS Mohammed Elmi has said.
Elmi said these and other strict guidelines will be put in place to prevent environmental degradation.
The CAS toured Osipata village in Busia, whose environment has been destroyed by sand harvesting.
“We are starting [reclamation] with Osipata gulley and will plant bamboo on hilltops to check on soil erosion downstream before the programme is rolled out to other affected areas in the county,” he said.
Water executive Isaac Alukwe said the Busia government is preparing bills on sand harvesting, waste management, forestry and conservation to be forwarded to the assembly.
Alukwe said Busia has embraced bamboo farming, with over 800 acres planted through a partnership with Ecogreen.
Kenya Water Towers Agency director-general Julius Tanui said all hilltops must be planted with bamboo trees. A factory for processing bamboo products will be set up as Kaptagat in Uasin Gishu so farmers can earn income from their trees.
Environment ombudsman John Chumo urged Busia to expedite the passage of the sand harvesting bill to get national government funding.
Residents said deep gulleys caused by the collapsing riverbank had ravaged roads as run-off water destroys vegetation.
