Cabinet directs NEMA to oversee removal of Asbestos from buildings countrywide
Costs associated with the removal will be covered by the owners of affected properties
The Cabinet has approved the removal of asbestos from private and public facilities in a move to mitigate the public from its health hazards.
A dispatch from State House Nairobi indicated that the National Environment Management Authority (NMEA) will oversee the removal, handling, and disposal of the hazardous product.
The Cabinet, during a meeting chaired by President William Ruto, made it clear that all the costs associated with the removal will be covered by the owners of affected properties.
“Under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle, property owners will bear the cost of removal,” It stated.
According to the Cabinet, the move will reduce future disease burden, cut healthcare costs, and enhance environmental safety.
Asbestos was extensively used in Kenya’s construction industry in the 1960s and 1970s and remains in many government buildings, hospitals, schools, and even water supply systems.
Its exposure is linked to severe health conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma – a cancer that develops in the tissue lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
The first directive for asbestos removal was given in August last year by Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
In his directive, Duale gave a three-month deadline, citing health risks, and warned of potential prosecutions for non-compliance.
He directed NEMA to write to the institutions to dispose of the hazardous fibrous minerals.
Currently, the people most heavily exposed to asbestos are those in the construction sector, and most occupational exposures occur during the repair, renovation, removal, or maintenance of asbestos.
NEMA developed national guidelines on the safe management and disposal of asbestos in 2011 before revising them in 2013.
The guidelines were produced through consultative and collective efforts of the Authority and lead agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services, and the then City Council of Nairobi.
