This archive report was first published on 20 July 2019.
Published on July 20, 2019, a team from the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) visited the Kabarnet County Referral Hospital and discovered alarming environmental concerns.
The hospital's sewerage facility was found to be in a deplorable state, with effluent water discharged poorly into nearby streams, posing a significant risk to the lives of people in the surrounding area.
National Deputy Director Betty Nzioka, who was part of the team, stated that the hospital's sewage lagoon was not being treated to the required standards, which could lead to the spread of dangerous diseases.
Furthermore, Nzioka noted that the hospital was burning waste near the sewer and discharging it into the sewer, both of which are violations of the law.
The hospital's incinerator was also found to be non-functional, which NEMA officers deemed hazardous.
Nzioka warned that the hospital has been issued a seven-day improvement order to comply with environmental regulations, failure to which they will face the full force of the law.
This is the second health facility to undergo scrutiny in recent times, following the Kirinyaga County Referral Hospital.
