Activists oppose Kilifi Sh12.7b cement project

Commission for Human Rights and Justice Executive Director Julius Ogogoh. [Kelvin Karani, Standard]

The planned Sh12.7 billion cement project in the Kilifi South sub-county has run into headwinds with human and environmental rights activists terming it a danger to the area’s fragile environment.

 Yesterday, locals also rejected the Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) study report of the project, terming it a fabrication, claiming their views were not incorporated.

 They say the project will destroy the Chasimba Caves, named by natives as Mawe Meru (black rocks) treasured by the Chonyi sub-tribe. the rocks are along the Mavueni-Kaloleni Highway.

 A petition to the Ministry of Environment by 12 rights groups, led by the Commission for Human Rights and Justice (CHRJ), said the project was being rushed without proper public participation.

 “The project is being rushed despite valid complaints from locals on the ESIA report. It should be halted to allow proper consultation,” said CHRJ Executive Director Julius Ogogoh.

 Mashujaa Cement PLC plans to develop a cement-integrated plant at Mawe Meru in the Chonyi area in Chasimba in Kilifi to produce clinker and cement for commercial and other industrial use.

 Ogogoh said the ESIA approved by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) fails to capture the danger the proposed plant will have on the biodiversity values of the area.

 “It is clear that some state agencies and investors are yet to appreciate that public participation and environmental protection are enshrined in our 2010 constitution,” he said.

 The 12 organisations that met in Mombasa under the auspices of the Coast Human Rights Group said they will seek to be joined in a suit to be filed by Chasimba residents in a Mombasa court.

“Days for firms dealing in clinker and cement building factories in remote areas to hide the effects on the environment and residents must be challenged,” said Ogogoh, who read the petition.

 In the past, other organisations, such as Nature Kenya, have also opposed the factory, terming it as a threat to the existence of rare species in Chasimba they designated as 'ecologically sensitive.'.

 

The organisation said that Chasimba has more than 196 plant species, of which 31 species are on the IUCN Red List, classified as Critically Endangered. Chasimba hosts a population of African Violet, currently classified as a critically endangered plant only found in Kenya.

 Yesterday, Ogogoh said it was a crime for the government to go against the Convention on Biological Diversity and prioritise investment at the expense of endangered species of plants and animals.

 “The government must guarantee the life of endangered plants because it is a signatory to international and continental conventions that are part of Kenyan laws,” said Ogogoh.

 He said the revered Mawe Meru caves among the Chonyi people also lie within the area where the proposed plant will be constructed.

 The ESIA report of the plant shared by the human rights groups indicates that the proposed project will negatively impact a few vegetation types, such as shrubs, cashew trees, and coconut trees.

 Among the planned mitigation measures for biodiversity outlined in the ESIA for the proposed plant was relocating some species to Arabuko-Sokoke Forest.

 However, Ogogoh argues that the project has not demonstrated an understanding of the site or local population and any commitment to safeguard ecosystems or save species and their habitats.

 The project mooted in 2019 would spur economic growth in the sleepy village and create jobs for future generations.

 Last year, NEMA Complaints Committee Secretary Marry Njogi assured residents that the opinions of all parties would be factored into their report which will inform the decision to put up the proposed plant.

 During the public participation, Mashujaa Q&M PLC representative Dan Kige also said fears about the environment were to be mitigated by modern technology. [Kelvin Karani]