The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has implicated 29 companies operating within the Nairobi metropolis of contributing to pollution in the Nairobi River.
Consequently, the authority has ordered the companies to undertake the cleanup of the water body within the next 30 days.
NEMA revealed that the discovery was made during a river inspection conducted in January. Among the companies listed by NEMA are Brookside Dairy Limited, Ndhiwa Sukari Industries Limited, Pearl Dairy Farm Limited, Kenya Tea Packers Limited, Mini Bakeries (NRB) Limited, and Mjengo Limited.
Other companies mentioned include Unilever Kenya Limited, Kapa Oil Refineries Limited, BAT Kenya, Yemken Trading Company Limited, Kilimambogo Millers Limited, Dawa Limited, UDV(Kenya) Limited, Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union Limited, Softcare Kenya Company Limited, and Sunveat Foods Limited.
Further additions to the list encompass Fabrique Par; Promasidor(Kenya) Limited, Bidcoro Africa Limited for Suntory Beverage & Food Kenya Limited, Weetabix East Africa Limited, Laboratory and Allied Limited, Beta Health Care, Mars Wringley Confectionery Kenya Limited, Global Mark Food Limited, Premier Food Limited, and Gold Crown Beverages(Kenya) Limited.
NEMA also flagged the Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, Kinangop Dairy Milk Limited, Kamili Packers Limited, and Kensalt Limited.
NEMA’s statement highlighted that inspections carried out at various points within the Nairobi River catchment on January 18, 2024, revealed the presence of diverse synthetic wastes associated with different producers.
The accumulated waste in the rivers was found to impede their flow, posing potential threats of flooding and water pollution, with likely adverse environmental impacts.
In addition to the cleanup directive, the companies have been mandated to submit a report on the cleaning exercise. Each company is expected to comply with the following requirements within 30 days of receiving the environmental restoration order
” Submit to NEMA the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) plan for the management of waste arising from their products and packaging within the Nairobi River catchment region,” NEMA said.
