CS Barasa orders removal of asbestos roofing material
In March, the Cabinet approved the removal of asbestos from private and public facilities in a move to protect the public from its health hazards
Environment Cabinet Secretary Deborah Barasa has directed the immediate removal of all asbestos roofing materials from buildings across the country.
In a gazette notice dated last Thursday, Barasa said that asbestos has been classified as a restricted chemical, and roofing made of this component poses a significant health risk.
“Resolved that each proprietor, owner, operator, or person in charge of any buildings, premises, or facilities shall be safely removed therefrom and safely dispose of all roofing materials containing or composed of asbestos, and that such safe removal and disposal shall be by sections 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, and 63 of the Act and paragraphs 2 (1) (c) and 3 (12) (k) of the Second Schedule to the Act,” she directed.
The directive comes amid growing health and environmental concerns over the use of asbestos, a material known to pose serious health risks, including cancer.
Barasa emphasised the urgent need for safe disposal and called on property owners to comply with the directive without delay.
In March, the Cabinet approved the removal of asbestos from private and public facilities in a move to protect the public from its health hazards.
A dispatch from the Cabinet indicated that the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) would oversee the removal, handling, and disposal of the hazardous product.
The Cabinet 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 president, William Ruto administration, the directive 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 2024 by the then Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale.
In his directive, Duale had given a three-month deadline, citing health risks, and warned of potential prosecutions for non-compliance.
