Nema shuts down Bungoma filthy abattoir

Nema on Thursday shut down a major slaughterhouse in Bungoma town over pollution.

Bungoma Nema director Vincent Mahiva said the facility does not have a proper waste management system.

He said the abattoir releases effluent onto the road and Khalaba River, putting residents using the water at risk.

Mahiva said the slaughterhouse was operating in a very bad state.

“I was very annoyed with how this slaughterhouse was operating. If it could have been left to operate it would have been a health risk,” he said.

The director said the proprietor of the facility should comply with Nema guidelines before it is allowed to resume operations.

Mahiva spoke to journalists after closing the slaughterhouse.

He said the slaughterhouse has also been operating without having approved Nema licences.

“The slaughterhouse will remain closed until the environment is improved,” Mahiva said.

He urged the proprietor of the slaughterhouse, who was not present during the closure, to put in place waste management mechanisms.

“I have no problem with clients operating health facilities, hotels, slaughterhouses and petrol stations but just comply with the Nema and run your business in peace. I don’t want to get complaints from residents about bad smells that will later affect them,” Mahiva said.

Bungoma county will now miss meat for some time as the shutdown slaughterhouse was the major supplier of meat to other small ones in the region.

Resident Doreen Makokha praised the move by Nema to shut down the slaughterhouse, saying the bad smell from the facility causes discomfort.

Makokha said the slaughterhouse releases dirty water to areas around risking the lives of residents, especially children.

The management of the slaughterhouse declined to comment.

The environment agency issued a stern warning to other facilities within Bungoma county operating in similar unhygienic conditions.

Edited by A.N