Environmentalists in Kitui have advised swift enactment of laws to regulate sand harvesting across the county in an effort to minimize the negative environmental impacts of excessive sand harvesting.
While lamenting the massive unregulated sand harvesting activities that have been taking place in the county for years, the environmentalists warned locals to prepare for worse environmental conditions for both humans and animals in the near future unless laws regulating sand harvesting are enacted and enforced immediately.
The environmentalists were speaking Monday during a public participation forum on sand harvesting held in Kitui town.
The forum, which was attended by representatives from the government, the private sector, and civil society organizations, was organized by the Kitui County Government in collaboration with the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).
The participants discussed the environmental and economic impacts of sand harvesting and proposed measures to regulate the industry, with expert environmentalists warning that sand harvesting is a major threat to the environment and human lives in Kitui County.
Unregulated sand harvesting, they noted, caused soil erosion, riverbank degradation, and the destruction of wildlife habitat.
Area residents expressed concern about the economic impact of sand harvesting. They claimed that the industry is dominated by a small number of wealthy individuals and that much of the profit does not benefit the local community.
The participants proposed a raft of measures to regulate the sand harvesting industry, including enacting a law to regulate the activity, establishing a monitoring and enforcement mechanism, promoting sustainable sand harvesting practices, and investing in environmental rehabilitation.
The participants called on the government to implement these measures and to ensure that the benefits of sand harvesting are shared equitably by the local community.
By Denson Mututo and Morinwa Lister
