A lobby group, Baboon Project Kenya, has demanded the arrest of Nakuru Governor Susan Kihika, accusing her of failing to address pollution in Lake Nakuru. The group claims that Governor Kihika, along with James Ng’ang’a, the managing director of Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services, has not enforced a court order issued in September to curb the contamination of the lake.
In a petition presented to Justice Anthony Ombwayo, the lobby group argued that toxic industrial waste continues to be discharged into the Lake Nakuru Basin, posing significant risks to wildlife, particularly the baboons in Nakuru National Park. These animals depend on the lake for water, and the pollution is believed to be a health hazard for them. The group emphasized that the pollution is not only an environmental concern but a serious threat to the park’s ecosystem.
On September 24, Justice Ombwayo had reviewed a report indicating that organic pollution from domestic wastewater, storm runoff, and industrial activities had severely degraded the lake’s water quality. The Environment and Land Court judge ruled that the county government had failed in its duty to protect Lake Nakuru, an important ecological site. In his judgment, he noted, “The county government has neglected its responsibility to safeguard the environment, particularly Lake Nakuru.”
As a result, the court issued a mandatory order requiring the county government and Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services to identify alternative disposal sites for toxic industrial waste.
However, Governor Kihika, through county secretary Samuel Mwangi Mwaura, has denied any wrongdoing. Mwaura argued that the governor is not directly responsible for the operations of the water company. “The petitioner has not and cannot prove any element of contempt against the governor,” he stated in his defense.
The court is expected to issue a ruling on the matter on January 31, as concerns about Lake Nakuru’s ecological health continue to mount.
