Northern Kenya

Toxic waste claims: Committee seeks memoranda from Northeastern residents

Members of Parliament. during a past session at the National Assembly. (Photo: File)

By Vincent Ombati | Tuesday, June 25, 2024

This is part of public participation as MPs seek to know the extent of harm the toxic substances had on the environment and their relationship with reported cancer cases.

The government has asked Northeastern residents to submit memoranda on specific terms of reference for the alleged dumping of toxic nuclear waste in the region.

The National Assembly Departmental Committee on Environment, Forestry, and Mining made the call in a notice on Monday via Clerk Samuel Njoroge, who highlighted five reference points for the public to detail in their memoranda.

Among them is establishing whether there was the dumping of toxic waste, including nuclear waste, in the region and identifying the locations where the crime may have been committed.

Njoroge said the committee would like to know the extent of harm the toxic substances had on the environment and their relationship with reported cancer cases.

He called upon the public to suggest ways to combat the effects of the toxic wastes, saying, "Recommend the corrective action to be taken, including the manner of lessening the effects of hazardous waste on human and livestock populations in the region."

The committee is also seeking to assess the overall effectiveness of the regulatory framework for the safe disposal of hazardous waste.

Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow had written to the committee, asking it to inquire about the dumping of nuclear waste in the region and its link to cancer cases.

In remarks issued in parliament, according to a YouTube video published by Frontier Online, he said it has been claimed that in the late 1990s, the government of then-President Daniel Arap Moi, through the Ministry of Energy, approved the dumping of toxic and nuclear waste in the region.

"I want the committee to undertake an inquiry into the illegal dumping of hazardous nuclear waste in the Northeastern region of Kenya, including the environmental effects and association with high cases of cancer reported," he stated.

He further wanted to know what measures the ministry was taking to rehabilitate the land in question.

The matter arose in April this year, when former Minister Cyrus Jirongo claimed Moi's regime knowingly dumped toxic nuclear waste in Northern Kenya, leading to a high prevalence of cancer cases in the region.

In an interview with Lawyer PLO Lumumba, Jirongo revealed that he had obtained classified documents from Jimmy Choge, the lawyer of Nicholas Biwott, also known as "Total Man", who was the most powerful figure in President Moi's cabinet at the time.

The documents allegedly contained sensitive information about the dumping of toxic waste in Northern Kenya, including the specific locations and details of the crimes.