The National Assembly Public Petitions Committee chaired by Hon. Nimrod Mbai (Kitui East) conducted an inspection visit of River Athi in Mwala Constituency. This follows a petition by Hon. (Eng.) Vincent Musyoka.  

Hon. (Eng.) Musyoka initiated a project in his constituency to pump clean water from River Athi to residents' homes. However, tests carried out on the waters revealed the presence of harmful substances, rendering it unfit for human consumption.

In his petition, Hon. Musyoka sought the intervention of the National Assembly in addressing the pollution of the river.

The Committee recommended administrative action against industries releasing effluents into River Athi and those lacking Effluent Treatment Plants (ETPs). They warned that the licenses for those who do not comply would be revoked.   

To address these concerns, the Committee proposed that NEMA exclusively grants licenses to factories with functional ETPs. They recommended regular inspections, along with administrative measures against non-compliant companies.

 Furthermore, they advocated for the development of legislation with punitive measures to protect vulnerable Kenyan citizens from non-compliant industries and residential areas.