Nairobi's Famous Kiamaiko Slaughterhouse Shut Down By Environment Watchdog

Traders at the famous Kiamaiko slaughterhouse in Nairobi will have to bear the brunt after it were shutdown by the environment agency.

On Monday, the National Environmental Management Agency (Nema) announced it had closed down the abattoir, citing failure to comply with environment regulations, especially the management of both solid and liquid waste.

In a notice, the environment watchdog's communications officer Evans Nyabuto said the joint, famous for goat meat from northern Kenya, were shut for not having waste water pre-treatment facilities.

“We have ordered the immediate closure of Kiamaiko slaughterhouses because they do not have pre-treatment facilities. It is required that such facilities install waste water pre-treatment and quality analysis facilities,” said Nyabuto.

He termed the slaughterhouse as a major pollutant of the Nairobi River, which is currently undergoing rehabilitation on joint efforts from Nema, Ministry of Environment and Nairobi County government.

“Part of our work is to check which areas are polluting the river. We realised that all Kiamaiko slaughterhouses are discharging their waste directly to Nairobi River,” he said.

“Our officers will there to ensure that no one slaughters any animal,” said Nyabuto, adding that the joint will remain shut until it complies with the regulations.

Nema director general Geoffrey Wahungu said the agency is conducting a surveillance of Dagoretti, Kawangware, Karen (Nairobi Dam), Kirichwa Kubwa and Kirichwa Ndogo, Mater and Kiamaiko estates to ascertain whether residents have been contributing to the pollution of Nairobi river.