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{
    "id": 1122771,
    "url": "https://info.mzalendo.com/api/v0.1/hansard/entries/1122771/?format=api",
    "text_counter": 240,
    "type": "speech",
    "speaker_name": "Narok North, ODM",
    "speaker_title": "Hon. Richard ole Kenta",
    "speaker": {
        "id": 420,
        "legal_name": "Richard Moitalel ole Kenta",
        "slug": "richard-moitalel-ole-kenta"
    },
    "content": "complaints of environmental pollution by London Distillers Kenya Limited (LDK), laid on the table of the House on Thursday, 30th September 2021. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Select Committee on Implementation is established pursuant to the provisions of Standing Order No. 209. Its main role is to ensure that whatever Parliament passes be it law, resolutions or Petitions are implemented. That is to ensure that this Parliament does not act in vain. This Parliament is there to ensure that the aspirations of the Kenyan people are met. This particular Report is on the right to a clean and healthy environment. It touches on the Athi River Basin all the way from Athi River to the Indian Ocean. The Report, therefore, covers the findings of the Select Committee on Implementation on the status of the Report of the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on an inquiry into the complaints as already enumerated. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources on an inquiry into complaints of environmental pollution by LDK was tabled before the House on Wednesday, 29th August 2018, and was adopted on 11th October 2018. The complainant on this matter is a company called Erdemann Properties Limited and it brought that Petition on behalf of the Greatwall Gardens Estate residents and more people were affected by this at Athi River Basin. It is a matter of national importance. In fact, the plaintiff alluded to the pollution that was causing a lot of damage downstream which is causing not only livestock losses but also there is claim that it is causing deaths and cancer. The Departmental Committee on Environment and Natural Resources set out some parameters to be met and most of them were directed at the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources, LDK and the County Government of Machakos. NEMA was supposed to ensure that the pollution is stopped and the complaint by Erdemann was fully addressed. Unfortunately, this matter took too long due to the arguments that were raised and the fact that the parties were adamant as far as their interests and positions are concerned. Hon. Deputy Speaker, we had experts. NEMA brought a company called Ecoserv Consultants Laboratory and the person who appeared before the Committee was called Prof. Anthony Karanja. Erdemann Properties also brought an expert called Mr. Patrick Ajuang’. Erdemann, the Ministry and several other stakeholders physically appeared before the Committee as set out in the Report. Hon. Deputy Speaker, Ecoserv Consultants Laboratory which was NEMA’s consultant reported that on effluent analysis, the parameters assessed included PH, temperature, total dissolved solids, biochemical oxygen demand, oil and grease, chemical oxygen demand, colour ammonia and sulphides. The professor opined that only two parameters colour recorded in the range of 175320MGPT/1 and sulphide 2-4 milligrams-1 were found to exceed effluent standards for discharge in the public sewers. They argued that the said pollution would be reduced in due course. The consultant was trying to give a clean bill of health to the said LDK. Hon. Deputy Speaker, the submissions by Erdemann Limited intimated that LDK continued to discharge effluent into the environment and there was no state-of-the-art equipment which was actually one of the rules that were set by the Committee on Environment and Natural Resources. They said that this was not done and that the purported state-of-the-art equipment installed to reduce pollution was a new distillation plant installed to increase the production of ethanol spirit, which at the same time increased the pollution to produce 150 millimetres cubic waste effluent daily. They also reported that there are no new equipment or machines installed to The electronic version of the Official Hansard Report is for information purposesonly. A certified version of this Report can be obtained from the Hansard Editor."
}