Families demand compensation as Pipeline officials visit contaminated areas of Kibwezi

Tomatoes whither as a result of the oil spill in Thange village in Kibwezi, Makueni County.

MAKUENI: Five months after the oil spill in Kibwezi, top Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) officials and local leaders finally visited the affected area on Wednesday. KPC chairman John Ngumi and acting Managing Director Flora Okoth landed at Mtito Andei in a helicopter from Nairobi and were driven to Thange in Kibwezi East constituency.

Their convoy comprising area leaders led by County Governor Kivutha Kibwana and area MP Jessica Mbalu snaked its way into the heart of the spillage a kilometre off the main road. They visited the area after residents blocked the highway to protest the oil spill. A scheduled Senate Committee visit to the site next week further prompted the leaders tour of the area.

They could not believe their eyes on seeing wells filled with oil. At a public baraza held at the assistant chief’s camp, KPC was put on the spot for delay in fixing the leakage.

Residents demanded compensation and medical care. “I am not mincing my words today. These people here are very bitter and they have told me to express their bitterness. Why hasn’t the company initiated public awareness on the effects of the spillage for the last five months? Why should we be left to guess and imagine things?” posed John Mukai, a resident.

In fact, when Dr Cyrus Matheka, the head of health promotion in Makueni County, read out the symptoms of lead poisoning—irritability, abdominal pain, exhaustion, each  residents confirmed they had these symptoms.

 That was until he read out the symptom of reduced sexual performance. The men kept quiet and looked to the skies.

Area MCA Martin Masila claimed his approach to solving the problem through a petition at the county assembly would win over Senator Mutula Kilonzo’s approach through the Senate. Senator Kilonzo did not attend the meeting as he was away on official duty. Johnson Kimeu, the head teacher of Thange Primary School, accused KPC of not giving protective gear to locals who are working on the affected area.

On her part Ms Mbalu said: “I wish you came to me. I would have pushed for you faster. I initiated correspondence with the KPC long ago and the MD can confirm this. I have also petitioned the matter in the National Assembly.”

National Environment Management Authority (Nema) did not attend Wednesday’s meeting. When we caught up with Nema county director Steve Kimutu at his Wote town office the following day, we found him sitting on his executive seat with more questions than answers:

“Have they finished mopping up the affected area? Why have they taken that long to sort out the issue? What have they been at the site since June? Why do you want to know how long our investigations will take? Why are they giving out water, is it their core mandate?” he posed the leading questions. To his credit, Kimutu has visited the site three times. He admits that he was initially satisfied with the remedial measures taken by KPC at the initial stage of the spillage but got worried when the company overstayed at the site.