Kitui 'toothless bulldog' on sand harvesting, Malombe says

The Kitui government is helpless in reining in rogue sand harvesters and profiteering cartels due to lack of enforceable sand harvesting and management laws.

Governor Julius Malombe on Thursday likened his admiration to a barking but toothless bulldog when it comes to managing the multimillion- shilling sand harvesting trade.

The governor made the remarks when he appointed the  19-member Kitui Sand Harvesting and Management Taskforce.

The taskforce is mandated to study the sand industry and come up with a draft sand harvesting and management policy and a draft bill to ensure sustainable mining and environmental conservation.

Malombe addressed the media as he introduced the taskforce in his boardroom.

The team is headed by top technocrat, Esther Musili, and comprised of community experts and people familiar with environmental matters.

 The bill should be enacted by the Kitui County Assembly, he said.

Malombe said with a law in place, it could be easy manage and control the sand harvesting industry in Kitui. It will be orderly and more organised, in contrast with the current chaotic and disorderly scenario.

“Currently, no one in this county has any law to enforce matters of sand mining. You rely on other agencies like the police and if they do not cooperate, you have nowhere to go due to the lacuna of the law.

“You are like a toothless bulldog that only barks. If you have a law, then you have something to enforce and if you go to a court of law and charge someone with circumventing the law, the court will listen to you,” Malombe said..

He said sand mining must be done in an organised manner whereby Saccos would be licensed to oversee harvesting in five designated sand harvesting river basins across the county. The emphasis would be on environmental protection.

The governor said his administration had mapped out the Tiva, Nzeeu, and Mwitasyano river basin, the Thua, Ikoo and Ngunga basin, Enziu, Mwania and Mui basin, Tyaa, Nguutani, Kamnuwongo basin and the Nziitu, Katse and Kanyungu river basin.

He said as governor he would ensure sustainable development in which the current generation uses resources prudently and sparing, bearing in mind that future generations will need them too.

“Future generation should find out rivers with sand but not outcroppings of stones as happened elsewhere,” Malombe said.

(Edited by V. Graham)