Varsity sued for flouting rules on environment

By PETER ORENGO

National Environment Management Authority has stopped construction of several buildings in Kenyatta University for flouting environmental laws.

Consequently, Nema acting Director General Ayub Macharia has summoned university Vice-Chancellor Olive Mugenda over the projects, which, he says, have no licence of compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment.

In a statement dated January 31, Prof Mugenda is to appear in court on February 10.

Affected projects

"On August 9, last year, Nema issued environmental restoration orders to the CEO requiring that development activities it had commenced cease immediately until the institution undertakes EIA licence for all the projects. KU was also issued with an order to cease illegal discharge of effluent from their waste water treatment plant in to the environment," said Dr Macharia.

He said in a meeting on August 10, last year, between KU and Nema regarding compliance with the issued orders, it committed to carry out EIA on all developments and submitted will apply for an effluent discharge license within a period of seven days from the date of the meeting. But on January 24, Nema established KU had commenced construction of five projects without undertaking and submitting EIA reports, Nema claims.

The projects include construction of an administration block, an amphitheatre, the School of Economics block, a mosque, and an extension of the 8.4.4 block.

Potential impacts

Nema wants the university to stop the constructions or development of the above facilities immediately; undertake an EIA of the project activities to facilitate in-depth evaluation of the potential impacts associated with the project. Any person who fails to prepare an environmental impact assessment report in accordance with the requirements of the Act or gives false information commits an offence and is liable on conviction to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 24 months or to a fine of not more than Sh2 million or to both.

Nema has further directed the university to stop illegal discharge of effluent into the environment.

Any person who contravenes any provisions of the environment management and co-ordination (water quality) regulations of 2006 is liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 18 months or a fine not exceeding Sh500,000 or both.