Twenty individuals in Wote town were arrested for failing to conduct an Environment Assessment Audit as per the Kenyan Environment Management and Coordination (EMCA) Act (Cap 387).
Among those arrested are operating bars, petrol service stations, hotels, and private hospitals who were napped after the police jointly with National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) officers conducted a crackdown.
NEMA Makueni County Director Vincent Oloo Ochieng stated that arrested individuals are operating businesses without EIA licenses, and not meeting NEMA standards for waste management. Officers enforced a plastic ban and arrested three individuals who used papers for packaging and selling muguka during a crackdown.
Ochieng revealed that those who operate without an EIA license risk getting fined between sh 2-4 million or being jailed for 2 to 4 years. At the same time, he also said that those who operate facilities without effluent discharge licenses will attract a fine of sh 500,000 or get imprisoned for 2 to 4 years in prison.
He further noted that many of those who were arrested had been served with orders from October last year but they failed to comply. The Director said that the arrested individuals were released on a cash bail and they will be arraigned in court on Wednesday next week.
By Patrick Nyakundi
