Environment Climate Change and Forestry Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has challenged the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to use its enforcement powers to end degradation of the environment largely driven by non-compliance of established laws and regulations.
As a long serving lawmaker, CS Duale said he will ensure that laws governing the environment, moreso the Sustainable Waste Management Act and Environment Management and Coordinate Act (EMCA) are fully implemented.
Speaking during his maiden appearance at the National Assembly’s planery sitting to respond to legislators questions of various aspects on environmental management, CS Duale told NEMA officials to up their game or get discarded.
On population in Nairobi, the Cabinet Secretary told the National Assembly that NEMA had written restoration orders to all identified polluters of the 47-kilometer Nairobi rivers ecosystem which is currently being restored by the Government through the Climate Worx Mtaani (CWM) initiative.
CWM is a national Government climate action and livelihoods initiative that’s seeks to restore urban rivers while maintaining public infrastructure and housing through labour intensive and sustainable public works.
The affirmative action program that directly benefits the youth and women kicked off on 1st October in Nairobi County with the restoration of Nairobi rivers ecosystem and will be expanded progressively to cover Kenyan cities and major towns across the country.
Contrary to popular belief, CS Duale said the heaviest polluters of Nairobib rivers were industries, sewerage companies and not informal settlements.
At the same time, CS Duale urged legislators to utilize the environmental allocation of National Government Constituencies Development Fund (NG-CDF) to galvanize grassroot support for tree growing so as to accelerate the Kenya Kwanza administration’s 15bn tree growing program.
The Cabinet Secretary was accompanied by Ag. Conservation Secretary George Tarus, Director General of NEMA Mamo Mamo, Ag. KEFRI Director Dr. Jane Njuguna and Chief Conservator of Forests Alex Lemarkoko.
