Taita Taveta lifts sand harvesting ban
Youths harvest sand in River Nzoia on January 7, 2018. Taita Taveta county government has temporarily lifted ban on sand harvesting to allow formulation of policy to guide resource extraction. PHOTO | FILE | NATION MEDIA GROUP
What you need to know:
Construction industry stakeholders opposed the ban over fears that it could derail ongoing works.
Ban had hit county's revenue collection.
County used to charge Sh2,000 per lorry.
Taita Taveta Governor Granton Samboja has temporarily lifted the ban on sand harvesting to allow county formulate a policy that will govern extraction of the resource.
Sand is vital for the construction industry and is one of the top revenue earners for the Coast region county.
“My administration has formed a committee that is working on the matter to ensure that a sound policy tailored for the county is articulated,” the county boss said.
But the governor said transportation of sand outside the county remains outlawed.
Stakeholders in the construction industry had earlier opposed the ban over fears that it could derail ongoing works.
The ban has also affected the counties revenue collection since it used to charge Sh2, 000 levy per lorry.
Ban on sand harvesting and logging has also stalled projects in the county, including the construction of the Sh65million office block at the County Assembly in Wundanyi partly due to shortage of sand.
"It was the recommendation of the committee that the ban be lifted to allow for harvesters with stock piles to dispose their sand only for use within the county," Governor Samboja said.
