Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika has been fined KES2 million or serve a six-month jail term by the Environment Court.

Mr. Justice Anthony Ombwayo fined the governor alongside Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company CEO James Ng’ang’a after finding them guilty of contempt of court orders that restrained the devolved unit from releasing toxic waste into Lake Nakuru.

Judge Ombwayo held the two in contempt of the court orders issued on September 26, last year and ordered the governor to initiate measures to restore the lake and clean up the waste dumped into the water body. 

The ruling was a result of a suit filed by Baboon Project Kenya, a non-governmental organization that asked the court to grant contempt orders.

In its petition, the NGO held that illegal disposal of industrial waste into the fresh water body was severely damaging the Lake Nakuru National Park and endangering animal species such as baboons, which drink from its waters.

''The pollution caused by sewage discharge threatens to irreversibly damage this unique ecosystem, endangering its rich biodiversity. The park's critical role in conservation cannot be overstated - it serves as a safe haven for many species that cannot survive elsewhere.''

Baboon Project Kenya further accused the county government, the water and sanitation company, and the National Environment Management Authority of neglecting their constitutional duties by permitting the unlawful discharge of toxic industrial waste into Lake Nakuru that also holds significant international conservation value as a United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) World Heritage Site and a Ramsar site.

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