Six people were on Tuesday arrested following a major crackdown conducted by a multi-agency team consisting of Nairobi County officials and officers from the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA).
According to NEMA officials, the six were cornered after they were allegedly found engaging in illegal dumping activities along the Industrial Area in Nairobi.
During the crackdown, the officers also managed to impound several vehicles suspected to have been used by the individuals in perpetrating the illegality.
The operation also saw the lorry drivers arrested on the grounds of operating the vehicles without the requisite NEMA license.
NEMA offices in Nairobi, Kenya.
Photo
Wkimedia Commons
While making the announcement, NEMA officials called on Nairobi residents to dispose of waste responsibly and ensure they follow environmental regulations.
“These joint inspections underscore the commitment to keep our environment clean and hold offenders accountable,” the NEMA officials noted.
“Waste handlers are advised to dispose of their waste in designated and licensed dumping sites and obtain NEMA transport licenses.”
The crackdown comes against the backdrop of recent routine inspections carried out along Athi River residential estates and companies in Machakos County by the officials.
During the inspection, the NEMA officials noted that some estates and companies had bio-digesters but could not show tracking records of how they transported their waste.
The authority also noted poor keeping of NEMA documents making it difficult for the inspectors to assess the status of compliance.
The non-compliant facilities were slapped with improvement orders and timelines to comply with failure to which the Authority vowed to take the necessary action.
The impromptu inspections come amidst the government’s effort to accelerate the recovery of an ecosystem that has been disturbed by illegal human activities such as poor waste dumping.
An image of NEMA offices in Nairobi, Kenya.
NEMA
