Kitui governor Julius Makau Malombe and his colleague Machakos governor Wavinya Ndeti engaged the Senate Committee on Lands, Environment, and Natural Resources about the need for sustained efforts in environmental conservation in the country.
According to Malombe, in the proposed policy and sand bill which is already in the County Assembly, the county has proposed measures that will ensure it gets revenue properly.
“There were no proper effective enforcement mechanisms and therefore in 2018, 2019, and 2021 when I was not governor there was a lot of sand that was carried from rivers in Kitui and that is the reason why we have said we are going to put legislation,” Malombe said adding that he has proposed various measures that will ensure lorries of a certain carriage will not be allowed to transport sand.
Asked whether he still collects revenue from those harvesting sand illegally, Malombe said there is a lot of sand collected during the day and ungodly hours hence not easy for enforcement officers to be at the site at 3:00 am.
He requested NEMA to assist in the enforcement of sand regulations.
Wavinya on her part emphasized that there is a need for synergy between the State agency responsible for the conservation of the environment, the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and the County Government in ensuring that the environment is conserved in line with the existing policies and regulations.
“My Government remains firm on the resolve to support all efforts towards environmental conservation, which is critical in safeguarding the natural ecosystem and mitigating the effects of climate change,” she stated.
