MPs summon boss of alcohol firm over air pollution dispute

A parliamentary committee has summoned the managing director of a distilling company to appear before it next week, to respond to complaints of polluting the environment.

London Distillers Kenya Limited MD is required to appear before the National Assembly Environment Committee, on Tuesday next week, to address issues raised by residents of Great Wall Gardens Estate in Mlolongo. The residents have accused the alcohol-maker of subjecting them to health hazards.

The homeowners, who include MPs, took their complaints to the committee on Tuesday, pushing for the closure of the company “if it cannot treat the waste it releases”. London Distillers is located adjacent to Great Wall Gardens Estate.

Benjamin Washiali, the National Assembly Majority Whip, told the committee that he is among the five MPs who have bought property in the estate. He said he feared he might not occupy his house because of the pollution.

“I am worried my investment may go down the drain if something is not done urgently,” he said. He declined to give the names of his other colleagues.

Charles Wambugu, a resident, told the House team that the pungent smell from the alcohol company had made their lives miserable and affected the health of their family members.

Wambugu said the emissions could harm his children and other home owners in the long-term. “We have been forced to have our meals behind closed doors,” he said.

Zeyung Yang, MD of Erdemann Property Limited Company, the developers of Great Wall Gardens, told the Kareke Mbiuki-led committee that he risked losing his investment of over Sh3.9 billion because of air pollution.

Yang said the bad smell being emitted by the company was affecting the residents, adding the alcohol-maker has released about 100,000 metric tonnes of dangerous untreated liquid for the 32 years it has been in existence.

He displayed samples of bottles containing contaminated water before the MPs. He said their efforts to have the plant closed down by Nema had been futile.

“The firm has been playing hide-and-seek - every time they are told to comply they do so, then after a few days, they go back to the same routine and continue discharging raw waste,” he said.

A representative of the company was kicked out of the committee hearing by the MPs, who insisted that only the CEO could appear before the House team, considering the gravity of the matter.