17 individuals have been arrested in Makueni County following a four-day crackdown by NEMA targeting institutions flouting environmental regulations.
The operation, conducted jointly by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the National Police Service, focused on non-compliant facilities across several sub-counties, including Mbooni East, Makueni, Kathozweni, Makindu, and Kibwezi.
Outgoing NEMA County Director Vincent Oloo Ochieng confirmed the arrests during a media briefing in Wote town. He revealed that most of the offenders were proprietors of key establishments such as hotels and hospitals, many of which had failed to submit mandatory annual environmental audit reports or secure effluent discharge licences.
Among those already arraigned in court are the owners of Rapha Hospital and Eden Mart Petrol Station in Wote. They are facing charges related to the breach of environmental laws.
Several other institutions were issued with improvement notices and cash bond releases, giving them seven days to comply or risk prosecution. These include Guru Nanak Sikh Hospital in Makindu, Capital Nursing Home in Kathozweni, the under-construction Makueni County Referral Hospital mortuary, and Kambua Resort in Kibwezi.
“We’ve concluded a successful four-day operation that saw us inspect 26 facilities, including petrol stations, hospitals, mortuaries, and commercial and residential buildings,” said Ochieng.
He emphasized the legal requirement to conduct Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) and obtain necessary licences as stipulated under Section 58 of the Environmental Management and Coordination Act.
