Interior Cabinet Secretary Kipchumba Murkomen has disclosed that several arrests have been made and vehicles impounded following the dumping of waste at Stima Plaza by Nairobi County officials.
Addressing the media on Thursday, Murkomen dismissed claims that the National Police Service (NPS) had failed to act, stating that officers had responded swiftly, arresting suspects and detaining some of the vehicles involved in the act.
Standing alongside Inspector General of Police Douglas Kanja and Director of Criminal Investigations Mohammed Amin, the CS strongly condemned the incident, branding it as “primitive” and a threat to public health.
“You don’t dump waste knowing people could contract diseases like cholera. That was uncalled for and completely unacceptable. From day one, NPS took action,” Murkomen stated.
He noted that the police had launched investigations immediately, leading to the arrest of several Nairobi County officers and the impounding of garbage trucks. However, the information had not been widely shared, which resulted in a heated debate in Parliament on Wednesday.
During the parliamentary session, Majority Leader Kimani Ichung’wah and other MPs demanded answers, urging Inspector General Douglas Kanja to explain why immediate action had not been taken. In response, National Assembly Speaker Moses Wetang’ula directed Kanja to appear before Parliament next week to provide clarity on the matter.
Following this directive, Murkomen assured that a detailed report on the ongoing investigations would be submitted to Parliament for further action.
“That information was not available during yesterday’s debate, but we have agreed that both the Ministry and NPS will compile a full report and submit it to Parliament,” Murkomen added.
The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) has also ordered the Directorate of Criminal Investigations (DCI) to probe the three-day standoff. In a directive signed by Deputy DPP Jacinta Nyamosi, the agency has seven days to compile a report detailing the events leading up to the dispute.
The standoff stemmed from financial disputes between Kenya Power and Nairobi County. Kenya Power cut electricity to several county offices over an unpaid KSh 3 billion bill, prompting City Hall to retaliate by dumping waste at Stima Plaza, citing an outstanding KSh 4.9 billion debt owed by the power company.
However, the matter was resolved on Wednesday after a high-level meeting involving Energy Cabinet Secretary Opiyo Wandayi and Head of Public Service Felix Koskei, paving the way for a truce between the two institutions.
