By Collins Wanzallah
The Nairobi County government has shut down a building concrete batching company believed to be polluting the environment in Ngara, Nairobi. Disclosing the closure of the plant, a senior member of the county government, Mr Geoffrey Mosiria, said that the move was decisive and meant to address environmental pollution in the city.
Mr Mosiria is the Chief Officer of Nairobi’s Environment Department. He led his officers in shutting down the factory on Tuesday. He said that the construction company was located near Ngara High School. He said that the company has been the subject of numerous complaints from both the school and residents. “The ongoing concerns revolved around the excessive dust emitted from the factory, which has been consistently invading Ngara High School, leading to respiratory and chest problems among the students,” said Mosiria.
He added that area residents and those in the vicinity have reported similar issues, with dust infiltrating their homes and affecting their health. “Further compounding the problem, the company has been discharging untreated effluent into the Nairobi River, significantly contributing to the pollution of this vital waterway,” added Mosiria in a dispatch to newsrooms. Despite being served with multiple notices by the county environmental authorities, Mr Mosiria said that the company had failed to address the raised issues.
He disclosed that the company failed to comply with the stipulated conditions, adding that during the inspection, the county’s environmental team took decisive action by indefinitely closing down the company. The operation also, according to Mosiria, saw the arrest of three individuals, including a Chinese national and two locals.
“Under the leadership of Governor Johnson Sakaja, there will be zero tolerance for environmental violations,” Mosiria emphasized. The crackdown he stressed was a strong message to all businesses in Nairobi County that environmental pollution and illegal operations will not be tolerated.
