Residents from Ngong, Kajiado County have called on the Ministry of Environment to come to their rescue claiming a private developer is choking them with toxic wastes.
According to Star, the residents claim Ngong River has been polluted by toxic substances hence posing a threat to their health.
Apparently, the private developer has been a thorn in their flesh with projects that release raw sewerage in the river, leading to the death of crops and animals that depend on water from the river for survival.
The details of the project according to the publication indicate that it is an apartment with 20 units with no sewerage system. It was reportedly completed in 2015 and since then, nothing has been done despite constant complaints from residents.
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Consequently, they claim to have been threatened and intimidated for raising concerns in regards to the issue.
In a letter dating back to 2017, the residents through Kipkenda and Co. advocates wrote to the developer raising their concerns but they fell on deaf ears.
“Take note that every person has an obligation to promote the protection and conservation of the environment. Any further discharge of effluent must be made into existing sewerage system or disposal sites,” the demand letter read in part.
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The developer reportedly halted the discharge for a period of time only to resume again in 2018 with claims that he hosts and dines with the high and mighty on a regular basis thus nothing can be done to him.
“We have been informed that the developer hosts them (Nema officials) to lunch on a monthly basis and treats them well. Since we are poor we have no one to offer us just a listening ear,” a resident is quoted.
The current Acting director at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Mamo B Mamo has, however, refuted the claims stating that the issues have never been brought to his office.
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