Contractors to pay more for sand from Machakos, Kitui

Contractors in Nairobi and its environs relying on sand from Machakos and Kitui counties will pay thousands of shillings to harvest and transport the commodity.

In addition, those who contravene the laid down procedures and fail to pay for licenses will pay heavy fines, a move that is likely to increase the cost of construction especially in Nairobi, Machakos and Kitui counties if the Sand Harvesting Law is passed in Kitui and Machakos counties respectively.

While Machakos County has already put in place the Sand Harvesting Law, which carries strict penalties, Kitui has drafted a Sand Harvesting Bill currently before the County Assembly to regulate the harvesting of the natural resource as well as increase own source revenue to the devolved unit.

Machakos County, for instance, has pegged sand permit per 7-ton lorry per trip at Sh5,000 while the penalty for non-payment of permit is Sh20,000.

According to the Machakos County Sand Harvesting Law, the penalty for transporting sand through undesignated roads is Sh20,000 while harvesting sand on undesignated areas is Sh30,000 payable to the county government.

Sand harvesting Law

Kitui County Governor Julius Malombe and his Machakos counterpart Wavinya Ndeti said the Sand Harvesting Law will ensure there is value for resource.

This according to Malombe, will enable the County government to have proper control on sand traders and earn revenue from the natural resource.

“The law is also intended to ensure there is controlled sand harvesting, thus ensuring environmental conservation and protection of rivers. The law will guide in enforcement where those found to contravene the set guidelines will be punished,” said Malombe.

Appearing before the Senate Lands and Environment Committee chaired by Nyandarua lawmaker John Methu, Malombe and Wavinya said they have put measures in place to manage sand harvesting in the counties in order to prevent environmental degradation.

Malombe and Wavinya charged that while sand is an essential commodity in the construction sector it was important it was harvested in a manner that will conserve the environment.

“The Bill, if passed by the County Assembly, will ensure that there is value for the renewable resource where the county government will have proper control on sand traders and where the county government will earn revenue from the resource,” said Malombe.

Controlled process

According to Malombe, the legislation is also intended to ensure there is controlled sand harvesting ensuring environmental conservation and protection of rivers and that once enacted by the county assembly, it will guide in enforcement where those found to contravene the set guidelines will be punished. Malombe further told the committee that the county will construct 2,400 sand dams across the rivers and suitable sites within the county to ensure development of sustainable sand harvesting management policy bill, promote and facilitate training and community sensitization on matters of natural resource and environmental management.

“Unregulated sand harvesting has led to lowering of the water table hence causing desertification, increased soil erosion and siltation of rivers reducing water volumes and affecting its quality, with increased soil erosion and siltation of rivers reducing water volumes and affecting quality,” said Wavinya.

The Governor told the committee unregulated sand harvesting has sometimes led to deaths due to landslides and collapsing of tunnels while social evils including unplanned pregnancies, increased drug and substance abuse among the youth and school going children in the region.

Sustainable utilisation

Nominated Senator Tabitha Mutinda had sought a statement to the Senate Land Environment Committee to outline the actions undertaken by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and relevant departments to ensure sustained enforcement of laws and regulations pertaining to natural resources including sand harvesting in Kitui County.

“The Committee should provide details of guidelines formulated and implemented by the Kitui County and the National Environment Management Authority in relation to sand harvesting with a specific focus on managing and mitigating the impact of sand harvesting on the environment and host community,” said Mutinda.

The Nominated Senator sought to have measures taken by Kitui County and the National Environmental Management Authority to carry out regular monitoring and inspections in order to guarantee compliance with environmental regulations regarding sand harvesting and recommend measures to stop illegal sand harvesting in Kitui County.

NEMA Director General Mamo Boru Mamo said Kenya has experienced a boom in construction and unregulated sand harvesting is an environmental disaster in the making. Mamo told the Senator John Methu-led committee that they are working with various government agencies to ensure the situation is under control.

He said that the agency has recruited 200 Environmental Inspectors across the country to ensure that those who carry out activities that may contribute to environmental degradation are made to face the law to serve as a lesson to others.