The Cabinet on Tuesday approved the nationwide removal of asbestos from all public and private facilities to mitigate health risks associated with exposure to it.
In a dispatch seen by the Star, the Cabinet said this will help enhance public health and safety.
It said while the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) will oversee removal, handling and disposal, county governments will designate sites where the asbestos will be disposed.
The Cabinet added that all costs associated with the removal will be covered by the owners of affected properties.
“Nema will oversee the safe removal, disposal, and handling of asbestos. County governments were urged to establish designated disposal sites.
“Under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle, property owners will bear the cost of removal,” the dispatch reads in part.
The Cabinet said the directive will reduce future disease burden, cut healthcare costs, and enhance environmental safety.
Asbestos was extensively used in Kenya’s construction industry in the 1960s and 1970s, and remains in many government buildings, hospitals, schools, and even water supply systems.
Asbestos exposure is linked to severe health conditions, including lung cancer and mesothelioma – a cancer that develops in the tissue lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
The first directive for asbestos removal was given in August 2024 by Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale. He gave a three-month deadline.
The CS cited health risks and warned of potential prosecutions for non-compliance.
Duale directed Nema to write to the institutions to dispose of the hazardous fibrous minerals.
Currently, the people most heavily exposed to asbestos are those in the construction sector and most occupational exposures occur during the repair, renovation, removal or maintenance of asbestos.
Nema first developed national guidelines on the safe management and disposal of asbestos in 2011 before they were revised in 2013.
The guidelines were produced through consultative and collective efforts of Nema and lead agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services and the then City Council of Nairobi.
