NAIROBI, Kenya, Feb 8 – A multi-agency team has initiated enforcement of the closure of Kiamaiko slaughterhouses paralyzing the entire slaughtering of goats at the slaughter slab due to the illegality of current operations.
This complies with a court order issued on July 28, 2022, which mandates the cessation of operations at these facilities to uphold environmental and health standards.
The team led by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) agreed to withdraw all the Government services offered to Kiamaiko Slaughter Houses.
They include the Veterinary Services of meat inspection, public health services, and issuance of Single business permits offered by the Nairobi City County and the services offered by the Nairobi water and sewerage company.
“The decision to enforce closure stems from longstanding concerns regarding the handling of blood and offal, as well as the improper treatment of wastewater discharge, as outlined in the Water Quality Regulations of 2006,”
Since 2013, negotiations have been rife to facilitate the relocation of operations to a licensed site by March 31, 2022, in Njiru, Nairobi.
The multi-agency emphasized that the intention behind these enforcement measures wasn’t aimed at impeding the legitimate trade of meat or the operation of butcheries.
“Rather, the focus is squarely on addressing the specific deficiencies observed within the slaughterhouse facilities themselves which degrade the environment,”
In 2015, the National Environment Management Authority issued a directive ordering for the closure of 15 slaughterhouses in Nairobi’s Kiamaiko.
Nema has been accusing the slaughterhouses of lacking a proper waste management system. However, seven years later, the slaughterhouses are still in operation.
The operators continue to discharge untreated liquid waste into the river.
Kiamaiko is in Eastlands, 12 km from the city center.The traders moved to the site, now popular with goat meat consumers, in 1996.
About 300-400 livestock are slaughtered at the facility daily. The abattoirs release the untreated solid waste into the Nairobi River leading to complains.
