Company to clean up river after oil spillage
An aerial view of Kenya Pipeline company in industrial area in Nairobi on February 3, 2009. The company will clean River Thange in Kibwezi East Constituency where one of its punctured pipes spilled oil into the environment. PHOTO | FREDRICK ONYANGO |
What you need to know:
- The company’s Business Development Manager Mr John Kithete who addressed locals at Thange Primary School yesterday said the clean up will start next month.
- The oil spillage extended 1,400 metres downstream from the pipeline, according to Mr Kithete.
- However, a section of locals dismissed him saying the spillage has gone beyond 1,400 metres.
Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC) will clean River Thange in Kibwezi East Constituency where one of its punctured pipes spilled oil into the environment.
The company’s Business Development Manager Mr John Kithete who addressed locals at Thange Primary School yesterday said the clean up will start next month.
The oil spillage extended 1,400 metres downstream from the pipeline, according to Mr Kithete.
However, a section of locals dismissed him saying the spillage has gone beyond 1,400 metres.
“In the second week of February, we shall start the process of recovering the oil that is trapped in the soil,” he told residents on Tuesday.
KPC ADVICE
He added: “KPC will then advice locals on which sections of their farms they can use to grow crops.”
Mr Kithete said scientific studies on the impact of oil spillage in the area have revealed that it has minimal impact on the health of the people, animals and crops.
But Mr John Mukai, a resident, insisted the oil has polluted the environment and urged the company to compensate them.
“There is no doubt that the river and soil have been contaminated. The company must move with speed to deal with the problem,” he added.
Already, KPC is supplying residents of six villages along the river with fresh water in plastic water tanks. Some locals want a task force formed to decide how those affected should be compensated.
