By Our Reporter
National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has issued closure notices to owners of more than 20 apartments in Kitengela town for discharging raw sewer on roads.
The crackdown followed an outcry over illegal discharge from various buildings recently prompting the environment watchdog to swing into action.
Kyang’ombe and New valley estates where raw sewer flows freely in residential areas enveloping the atmosphere with foul smell are the most affected.
Raw sewer is directed to adjacent feeder roads because septic tanks are full and land lords cannot safely dispose the discharge.
Septic tanks are leaking at one plot at Kyang’ombe estate, where almost half of the ground floor is filled with raw sewer yet tenants continue living there.
“The landlord has refused to refund our rent deposits to enable us to look for alternative houses,” said tenant Duncan Nanga.
Nema officials have now issued 14 days closure notice to owners of more than 20 buildings for flouting environment regulations.
The closure notice is the culmination of two weeks of investigations by NEMA officials.
Kajiado NEMA inspectorate department has formed a surveillance team responsible for patroling satellite towns.
Two weeks ago, Kajiado NEMA director Joseph Kopejo said both liquid and solid waste management in Kitengela has been a thorny issue.
Mr Kopenjo said the environment watchdog will ensure the building’s owners take responsibility and tenants vacate.
“Tenants in all buildings identified and marked must move out in the next two weeks to allow the owners undertake renovations otherwise we will forcefully evict them if they don’t comply,” said Kopejo.
Defiant landlords who are on Nema list will be arrested and arraigned in court.