NAIROBI, Kenya July 9 – President Uhuru Kenyatta has ordered action against factories discharging effluent waste to Athi River.
The Head of State who spoke during a tour of the Sh40 billion Thwake dam on Friday directed the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) to crack down on the factories.
President Kenyatta’s directive follows revelations by the Auditor General who warned that Thwake dam’s water is unfit for human consumption due to the pollution.
“It’s every Kenyans’ right to access clean water. We can only get clean water through protecting our environment, through developing and ensuring our cities have proper sewerage facilities so that waste is not dumped in our rivers, lakes and seas,” stated the President.
Thwake Dam.
President Kenyatta was in Ukambani in a tour of projects in which he was accompanied by former Prime Minister Raila Odinga, former Vice President Kalonzo Musyoka, Governors Charity Ngilu (Kitui), Alfred Mutua (Machakos) and Kivutha Kibwana (Makueni).
Thwake dam is billed as one of the largest in the country and is expected to provide water supply for domestic, livestock, irrigation and hydropower in the three Ukambani counties.
During his tour, President Kenyatta also promised the Ukambani residents timely completion of the Kibwezi- Kitui road, which connects the three counties, as part of measures to ease transport.
This project is worth Sh 18 billion and is funded jointly by Kenyan taxpayers and the Chinese EXIM bank.
The 688 million cubic metre Thwake dam is a Vision 2030 flagship project and a key initiative of the Big Four Agenda.
The dam project that will be implemented in four phases is estimated to cost Sh40 billion.
