NEMA shuts down Kiamaiko slaughter houses over river pollution

The environmental watchdog has shut all slaughter houses in Kiamaiko for discharging liquid waste into the Nairobi River.

The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) accused the abattoirs of lacking a proper waste management system.

Bayana Abdi, the owner of A-B slaughterhouse, said that more than 2,000 workers were now jobless.

Abdi revealed that more than 2,000 goats were slaughtered at the 15 abattoirs everyday and the meat products ferried to as far as Dubai. Locally, the main markets are Embu, Thika, Nakuru, Naivasha and Kinangop.

On a good day the slaughterhouses could earn up to Sh300,000 each.

“Nema and the county administration should give us more time to adhere to the directive because we have to identify alternative areas of doing business,” said Abdi.

Business owners now want Governor Mike Mbuvi to reopen the slaughter houses before alternative abattoirs are built.

It is estimated that thousands of people earned a living from Kiamaiko doing assorted jobs. There were youths who washed the goats before slaughter, those who did the slaughtering and others who cleaned the animals’ intestines. On a good day they could take home Sh500.

Idle employees

A spot check by The Standard established that hotels and other eateries around Kiamaiko were also shut. Idle employees were loitering around their work places as they pondered their next moves.

Ache Mohamed, a worker, alleged that a deal had been struck between a top Nema official and abattoir operators in Kasarani to close Kiamaiko.

“We observe the highest hygiene standards by putting on protective gear such as aprons, gloves and hair nets to prevent meat contamination. There is also a designated sewerage where waste water is taken,” said Mohamed. He noted that a county garbage truck collects the rest of the waste every other day.

The abattoir owners, through the Kiamaiko Slaughterhouse Association, said they would sue Nema and the county government.

On Monday, Nema ordered the closure of the slaughter houses in a bid to clean up Nairobi River. Through a statement sent to newsrooms, Nema said the businesses were issued with orders in 2015 to vacate Kiamaiko but have continued to discharge untreated liquid waste into the river.

Njoki Mukiri, an environment officer, said that the operators had requested to be allowed a two-year grace period to buy land elsewhere and rebuild.