Makueni County Governor Kivutha Kibwana has called on the hefty compensation of Makueni locals by the Kenya pipeline company over the oil spill caused a broken pipeline.
The governor called on the KPC to rectify the leakage pipes and ensure residents get quick medical examinations.
The residents of Thange River are still awaiting compensation and there has not been a report on whether the oil was removed from the contaminated regions.
The recent case of Kiboko natural springs oil spillage in Makueni County has caused an uproar among the residents of the area. The water was declared unfit for human and animal consumption a week ago after it was found to be contaminated with petroleum products.
The contamination of the seasonal River Kiboko was caused by an oil spillage from a punctured section of the new Sh48 billion Mombasa-Nairobi oil pipeline. The leakage was realized on March 30, and KPC are not sure how long the pipe may have been leaking.
This spillage could have been realized and contained earlier but the KPC designed the 20-inch pipeline without any leak detection system. This omission was not only unnecessary but has also risked the health of residents of Makueni County.
Makueni Senator Mutula Kilonzo Jr has also raised the issue in the Senate committee on environment. He demanded that the people of Makueni need to know the extent of damage the oil spillage caused in the region.
“The committee should present to the Senate the plans KPC has on providing clean water to the residents of Kiboko,” Mutula said.
However, this oil spill incident is not the first in the county as three years ago, 45 kilometers South of Kiboko another oil spill occurred in Thange River.
Water contamination causes harm not only to humans but also to agricultural products they depend on for consumption. The oil spillage has made residents of Makueni afraid of using the water from the river or eating agricultural products that use irrigation systems.