Wajir South Member of Parliament Mohammed Adow has asked the National Assembly to look into claims that the government had dumped hazardous nuclear waste in the North Eastern part of the country.
The MP, in a statement to the National Assembly’s departmental committee on environment, forestry and mining urged the House to undertake an inquiry into the alleged dumping of the hazardous material, including details on the resultant environmental effects, and the association with the high cases of cancer reported in the Northern part of Kenya.
While requesting for the statement during debate on the floor of the House Adow, argued that there had been claims in the recent past that sometime in the late 1990s, the government through the Ministry of Energy, approved the dumping of toxins including nuclear waste in the North Eastern Region of Kenya.
“Speaker, research has proven that nuclear waste is associated with high cases of cancer. Owing to the harmful effects of nuclear waste, the claims of nuclear dumping in the North Eastern region stirred discomfort about health challenges experienced, especially among residents who believe that the rampant cases can be traced back to the dumping of nuclear waste,” he said.
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According to medical experts, nuclear waste poses a great danger to human beings due to its radioactive properties which can cause serious health effects such as cancer, genetic damage and acute radiation syndrome upon exposure.
Adow further wants the ministry to state the measures put in place to ensure that the residents of the region whose land was illegally used for dumping of hazardous waste and those whose health has been adversely affected by the waste are fully compensated.
When responding to the lawmaker’s concerns, the committee chairperson is also expected to explain to the House what regulatory frameworks the government has put in place to ensure that all hazardous waste including nuclear waste in the country are securely disposed without causing harm to humans, animals and the environment.
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