Chinese firm to pay blast damages

A Chinese road construction firm has been given 14 days to repair tens of damaged homes and a primary school in Mai Mahiu, Naivasha, or face court action.

National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has indicted China Wui of destroying the homes and school while extracting road construction materials from a quarry in the area using explosives. 

The authority stepped in following a public outcry from residents, who blamed the firm for the collapse of their houses and partial destruction of a new primary school constructed using the National Government Constituency Development Fund resources.

According to Nema's Director of Environment in Nakuru Solomon Kihiu, who visited the area, property worth millions of shillings has been affected by the blasts.

“We have issued a two-week notice to the company to either compensate the affected persons or we shall cancel its licence and take it to court,” he said. 

Kihiu said the explosives that the firm was using might be too strong and not recommended by the authority. 

Area MP Jayne Kihara promised to raise the issue with the Parliamentary Committee on Environment to stop further exploration of road construction material in the area.

“The blasts from the quarry have left a trail of destruction. It has to stop,” said the MP.

“We shall make sure that this company is compelled to compensate all the affected families and the public school, which was set to be opened in January,” she said.

Contacted, one of the managers from the firm who declined to be named said it had complied with all the government regulations and acquired a licence from the county government and Nema.

“We are ready to follow the directives by Nema because we are law abiding citizens,” said the manager.