Kajiado residents demand action over smoke from hazardous waste site

Residents of Kaputiei North Ward have raised concerns over the ongoing open combustion of hazardous waste in their area, accusing a local company of exposing them to serious health risks.

The agitated residents say thick smoke and a choking smell emanating from Environmental and Combustion Consultant Limited (ECCL) in Empuyiankat have made life unbearable.

According to them, cases of persistent coughing, sneezing, headaches, and other respiratory complications have increased significantly in recent days.

School-going children and elderly residents are reported to be among the most affected, with many allegedly falling ill due to prolonged exposure to the smoke day and night.

Residents claim the situation worsened over the past week after a fire reportedly broke out at the company's hazardous waste holding site, spreading smoke across at least 10 villages.

They also question why the facility frequently experiences fires, especially when the holding area has tonnes of hazardous waste.

Although the company is licensed as a hazardous waste storage facility, residents allege that it continues to illegally incinerate waste materials.

The residents are now calling on relevant environmental and public health authorities to intervene and investigate the incident to safeguard the health and well-being of the affected community.

In response, the company officials said the ongoing combustion of pharmaceutical products was accidental and that efforts to extinguish the fire are ongoing.

The company officials further acknowledge that the smoke and odour generated by the incident are harmful and unsuitable for human exposure.

National Enviromental Management Authority (NEMA) Kajiado director Mark Angwenyi says the incident has been treated as an emergency and the company compelled to use all mechanism to put off the fire.

He further says the company will also be scrutinised to verify if it is operating within the law.

The villages most affected by the smoke include Empuyiankat, Namunyak, Olturoto, Jerusalem, Kilakir, and Korompoi.