Kenya’s National Environment Management Authority (Nema) on Friday shut down Hotel Boulevard, located along Harry Thuku road in Nairobi.
According to the authority, the hotel has been releasing untreated waste into Nairobi River.
“NEMA has stopped operations of Boulevard Hotel in Nairobi with immediate effect for discharging untreated effluent into Nairobi River. The hotel has also been ordered to remove pipes discharging effluent into the River,” Nema said in a tweet.
NEMA has stopped operations of Boulevard Hotel in Nairobi with immediate effect for discharging untreated effluent into Nairobi River. The hotel has also been ordered to remove pipes discharging effluent into the River. @Environment_Ke @dailynation @StandardKenya pic.twitter.com/RVJaxLq0fq
— NEMA Kenya (@NemaKenya) May 8, 2020
The hotel, put on sale in 2018, was inspected on Thursday following reports that the facility was polluting the river.
“NEMA Kenya officers undertaking inspection on illegal effluent discharge into Nairobi River at Boulevard Hotel, Nairobi today,” the agency tweeted on Thursday.
@NemaKenya officers undertaking inspection on illegal effluent discharge into Nairobi River at Bullevard Hotel, Nairobi today. @Environment_Ke @citizentvkenya @ntvkenya @KTNNewsKE pic.twitter.com/WI3UZWNEpV
— NEMA Kenya (@NemaKenya) May 7, 2020
In 2019, Nema closed four companies in Industrial Area for discharging dangerous waste into the river.
They included; Modern Lithographic (K) Ltd, Apex Limited that manufactures paints, Thorlite Kenya Ltd and Kamongo Paper Recycling Company.
In August, Water Cabinet Secretary Simon Chelugui said that at least 4,404 pollutants were found in the river.
Even more shocking, as of November 2019, Sonko Rescue team had discovered 17 bodies; 13 infants and four adults.
One then wonders, will the Nairobi River ever be clean? Then acting Nema director general Mamo Mamo, said it is possible but it will take time.
“The big challenge is the informal settlement within the riparian areas,” he told the Star.
“We want to ensure that we can get proper sanitation for informal settlement through innovative means. This is for instance giving them proper sanitation facilities instead of flying toilets,”he added.
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