The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has issued a stern directive to the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), demanding urgent environmental restoration over the longstanding oil spill in Thange, Makueni County.
In a letter dated Tuesday, NEMA called on KPC to implement immediate remediation measures, citing continued environmental degradation and public health risks stemming from the 2015 spill. The leak, which originated from a section of the Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, led to the contamination of the Thange River and surrounding farmlands, triggering a crisis that has persisted for nearly a decade.
NEMA has given KPC 14 days to submit an updated status report on the implementation of eight conditions it had previously outlined in a 2021 directive. Additionally, KPC must develop and present a comprehensive remediation and restoration plan with clear timelines for review.
The environmental agency has also instructed KPC to secure the contaminated site to prevent further public exposure and potential interference, warning that the site still poses a serious environmental hazard. A thorough environmental, social, and health impact assessment is also required, including hydrological and geological surveys to determine the full extent of the damage. This report, along with laboratory tests of soil, water, and local plant and animal life, must be submitted within 21 days.
“The outcome of the assessment shall inform environmental restoration and compensation of the affected persons,” NEMA’s Director-General Mamo B. Mamo stated in the letter.
KPC is also required to draft a monitoring plan to evaluate the effectiveness of the clean-up and ensure long-term compliance. NEMA urged the company to work closely with the Water Resources Authority (WRA), the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), the Ministry of Health, and the Makueni County Government.
A final report outlining all restoration activities and compliance with the directives is to be submitted to the Senate Standing Committee on Energy within a month.
Local residents continue to suffer from ailments including cancer and kidney complications, which they link to exposure from the spill. The polluted river and infertile farmland have also devastated agriculture in the region, intensifying calls for urgent government intervention and compensation.
