Panic has gripped Nanyuki Town and
its environs after an unknown powder
was dumped into a river on
Wednesday evening.
Water in Nanyuki River, stones and
plants on its banks turned deep blue
after the blue powder which was
wrapped in a large paper seeped into
the river.
Fearing that it could be a poisonous
chemical, Water Resources
Management Authority (WRMA)
officers in the area issued an alert
warning people living downstream
against using water from the river.
“We have agreed with the National
Environment Management Authority
(Nema) and public health officials to
put our heads together to find out
what this chemical is and who
dumped it into the river," a WRMA
official Mr Dominic Kibaya said.
"We have already collected samples
and we will know whether to send
them to the government chemist,”
Kibaya added.
Residents operating along the river
alerted government officials who
traced the source of the strange
colour to a big parcel weighing
several kilogrammes at a temporary
dumpsite on the river bank.
NOT CONSUME WATER
“As of now we don’t know what it is.
People downstream must be
prevented from consuming water
from this river because it could be
heavy metal.
The best action is not to take the
water,” Mr Kibaya said.
The vice-chairman of Nanyuki River
Water Users Association Mr David
Irungu mobilised the residents to look
for the pollutant after people started
complaining about the colouration of
the water.
He said the powder which was
irritating to the skin was found near a
residential plot where an
unauthorised garbage site was
developing.
Nanyuki town residents accused some
government officers charged with the
responsibility of fighting pollution of
sleeping on their jobs.
“We have good laws to prevent
pollution but the government officers
who are supposed to enforce them
are not doing their job.
That is why unauthorised garbage
dumps are developing on river
banks,” a resident Mr Danson Mumba
said.
He urged government agencies to
streamline laws on pollution in order
to keep the rivers clean.
Nanyuki River serves thousands of
farmers and pastoralists in Laikipia
county.

Posted by Blyth on 12:47. Filed under . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0