The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has issued a stern directive to the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), demanding immediate action to address the lingering environmental and health crisis caused by a 2015 oil spill in Thange, Makueni County.
In a letter dated Tuesday, NEMA ordered KPC to implement urgent environmental remediation measures, citing the prolonged impact of the spill on the Thange River ecosystem and local communities. The incident, which stemmed from a leak in KPC’s Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, resulted in widespread contamination of water sources and agricultural land, with residents reporting chronic health issues such as cancer and kidney failure.
NEMA’s Director-General Mamo B. Mamo instructed KPC to submit, within 14 days, an updated report on the implementation of eight previously outlined conditions from a 2021 letter. The state corporation is also required to develop and submit a detailed remediation and restoration plan, complete with timelines.
“The Authority directs the immediate submission of a comprehensive plan detailing clean-up measures, pollution removal, and full environmental restoration,” Mamo stated.
Additional directives include securing the contaminated site to prevent further public exposure, and conducting a full-scale environmental, social, and health assessment. This includes hydrological and geological surveys to assess the extent of the damage, and laboratory testing of soil, water, and biological samples for hydrocarbon contamination. These findings must be reported within 21 days and will inform restoration and compensation measures.
KPC is further mandated to formulate a monitoring framework to evaluate the success of its remediation efforts. Collaboration with other agencies, including the Water Resources Authority (WRA), the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), the Ministry of Health, and the Makueni County Government, is also expected.
A comprehensive report detailing compliance and restoration activities must be submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Energy within a month. The committee, led by Siaya Senator Oburu Oginga, visited the affected area last month and urged swift resolution, amid mounting public frustration over years of inaction.
Despite earlier clean-up attempts, the spill’s toxic effects remain, with residents struggling with contaminated water supplies, ruined farmland, and unfulfilled compensation demands.
NEMA’s latest directive signals a renewed push for accountability and recovery nearly a decade after the initial spill.
Written By Rodney Mbua
