The Parliamentary Committee on Public Petition on Friday, June 16, recommended the suspension from office of the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Director-General Mamo Boru.
The Committee made the resolution after an impromptu assessment visit to the Athi River and accused the NEMA Director General of failing to address untreated sewage regularly dumped at the water source.
Led by Kitui East MP Nimrod Mbai, the committee stated that a chemical analysis of the Athi River waters had revealed severe contamination affecting families that depend on its water for everyday use.
"We have witnessed a serious state of pollution upstream and the effect of that on consumers who are living and working downstream.
"It is important to note that somebody must take responsibility for this kind of pollution, especially, those charged with the mandate to solve the challenge," MP Mbai stated.
The MPs also noted that the contamination of the Athi River would make the multi-billion Thwake Dam meaningless if the water is deemed unfit for irrigation or human usage.
"Our first recommendation is that the NEMA Director General must be suspended with immediate effect so that he can pave the way for the work of cleaning the river to continue," Mbai added.
In an address to the media, the MPs noted that public servants who fail to attend to challenges in their dockets should be ready to take responsibility, warning that Director-General Boru had grossly failed to address the pollution issue.
"This is very bad and pathetic because we have seen water that looks like a sewer. Unfortunately, the local residents have no other source apart from Athi River," Another lawmaker lamented.
The Athi River is 390 kilometers long, and it rises in the Gatamaiyo Forest and flows through Machakos and Tsavo National Park before emptying into the Indian Ocean.
Athi River is an important source of water for drinking, irrigation, and industry for communities living along its stretch. It is also home to a variety of wildlife, including hippopotamuses, crocodiles, and birds.
The Parliamentary Committee on Public Petition also noted that the river was facing a number of challenges including pollution, deforestation and climate change.
These challenges are threatening the river's ecosystem and its ability to provide water and food for the people and wildlife that depend on it.
NEMA Mandate
NEMA is categorically responsible for enforcing environmental laws and regulations that are designed to protect rivers from pollution.
This includes issuing permits to businesses and industries that discharge waste into rivers, inspecting factories and other facilities to ensure that they are complying with environmental regulations and prosecuting violators of environmental laws.
NEMA also provides technical assistance to businesses and industries on how to reduce their environmental impact.
This includes providing information on pollution control technologies, helping businesses to develop environmental management plans, and training employees on environmental best practices.
