City law firm petitions Energy Ministry over toxic waste claims
By Mary Wambui |
Several MPs from the North Eastern region have called upon the DCI to investigate Jirongo's allegations and have him record a statement as part of the probe.
A city law firm has petitioned the Ministry of Energy to make public all documents pertaining to the dumping of toxic waste in any part of Kenya's territory.
This follows claims by former cabinet minister Cyrus Jirongo that the late Moi regime dumped toxic waste including nuclear waste in the North Eastern region.
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Dahir, Affey and Associates Limited says the revelations made in a YouTube interview dubbed "Thee Alfa House" on April 6 have puzzled and raised concerns among Kenyans.
In the clip that has since gone viral, the former minister narrated how he allegedly came across official government documents containing information on the alleged dumping of the toxic waste.
He added that his attempts to seek answers saw him threatened with dire consequences and led to the reshuffling of a former PS in the ministry.
"It has especially brewed an extreme sense of uncertainty and perturbation among the residents of Northern Kenya considering there have been diverse locations within the region that have been mysteriously plagues by chronic diseases including but not limited to different types of cancer that are potentially attributable to exposure to toxic waste and radioactive material," Abdulhakim Dahir Sheikh, the Managing Partner at the firm notes in the petition sent to the Permanent Secretary and copied to the Cabinet Secretary.
The lawyer adds that the law firm strongly believes that the documents that Jirongo claims to have accessed will be crucial to the comprehension of the situation in the North Eastern region.
" This information will be instrumental in guiding the relevant authorities on the necessary steps that should be taken to remedy any existing health hazards in this region and prevent any further possible exposure," the petition says.
Access to information
The petition is based on Article 35 of the constitution which provides for the right to access information as well as the Access to Information Act.
Also requested by the firm include a disclosure by the ministry on the particulars of any local or foreign entity in this case country, corporation or individual that the government has ever engaged with or permitted to undertake dumping of toxic waste in the country.
If Jirongo's claims are true, the Ministry is also requested to make known the locations that have hosted any operation to undertake any operation relating to the dumping of toxic and or nuclear waste in the country.
The firm further wants the Ministry to make a comprehensive statement shedding light on the history of toxic/nuclear waste dumping in the territory of Kenya.
It expects feedback from the Ministry in 21 days as allowed for by the Access to Information Act 2016.
On Wednesday, several members of parliament from the North Eastern region called upon the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) Amin Mohamed to investigate Jirongo's allegations and have him record a statement as part of the probe.
The leaders including Tarbaj MP Hussein Abdi Barre and Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow said the claims may shed more light on the cause of the high prevalence of cancer cases in the region.
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