Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka has called on the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to take action against a hospital in Kisii accused of releasing raw human waste into streams used by local people for domestic water supplies.
In a statement on Tuesday August 5, the senator said that residents had shared videos and testimonies showing the hospital, located in the Sameta Mokwerero ward of the Bobasi constituency, discharging raw sewage into nearby rivers.
According to Onyonka, this practice has raised public health concerns, with residents living near the hospital reporting outbreaks of waterborne diseases.
He further claimed that, despite efforts by residents to table their complaints to the hospital management, police officers had often been used to intimidate and silence them.
NEMA offices in Nairobi, Kenya.
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"Testimonies from the locals indicate that the community is already suffering the effects of the actions of Lenmek Hospital to release the effluent waste to the river. The families living near the hospital have reported an outbreak of waterborne diseases since the vice started," the senator said.
"The residents of Nyanuguti have raised their concerns that the proprietor of the facility uses the police to intimidate them anytime they attempt to raise a complaint over this issue," he added.
The lawmaker has further threatened to take legal action, within seven days, against the hospital if it fails to table its copies of NEMA licenses, county government public health licenses, and
a license from the Ministry of Health.
"Article 35 of the Constitution of Kenya, as further defined by the Access to Information Act, 2016, outlines the right to access information in order to promote transparency and accountability from public and private entities," Onyonka stated.
In Kenya, raw human waste from hospitals is considered healthcare risk waste. This type of waste should be separated from general waste and handled with care to prevent infections and contamination.
The waste should then be placed in specific containers, which NEMA-licensed collectors then collect and dispose of in designated facilities, such as incinerators or specialized treatment plants.
"The Public Health Act in Kenya, Cap 242, outlines sewage management and its impact on public health. It outlines regulations for drainage, sanitation, and the prevention of pollution from sewage," Onyonka stated.
"Local authorities are responsible for enforcing these provisions, ensuring proper drainage. maintaining sanitation facilities, and preventing the contamination of water sources by sewage," he added.
Kisii Senator Richard Onyonka speaks during a rally in Kisii County on March 7, 2023.
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