MPs Push NEMA to Implement Nationwide Ban on Asbestos Roofing
MPs want nationwide removal of asbestos roofing now, citing health risks despite 2006 ban
During a sitting on September 23, MPs expressed concern that thousands of public buildings still have asbestos sheets, nearly two decades after Kenya banned them in 2006.
Health Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale appeared before the Committee and revealed that NEMA has done surveys in 19 counties and issued guidelines for safe removal. But he admitted that asbestos roofs are still widespread in public facilities because of slow replacement.
Duale warned that the deteriorating sheets release microscopic fibres into the air, contaminating soil and water and exposing communities to deadly diseases. “The risk increases as the sheets weaken, releasing harmful fibres that can cause serious respiratory diseases, including lung cancer and mesothelioma,” he said.
The committee directed NEMA to identify asbestos-roofed buildings in the remaining 28 counties and prepare a national disposal strategy within six months. The plan must be in line with the 2011 Asbestos Management Guidelines.
MPs also asked the Ministry of Health to conduct medical surveys in affected areas to assess health impacts and provide interventions. They also demanded that all asbestos roofing in public institutions be removed within one year, with NEMA to oversee and supervise the process.
This is after a public petition by Wajir MP Ibrahim Abdi was tabled on September 28, seeking a total ban on the material. Abdi noted that asbestos roofing is still in use in schools, hospitals, dispensaries, police stations and other public buildings, many of which were built with donor funding.
He also pointed out that at least 55 countries, including the US, New Zealand and Australia, have banned asbestos due to health risks and yet Kenya is still grappling with the remnants of the material nearly two decades after the ban.
MPs said failure to act fast will expose communities to rising cases of asbestos-related diseases. The House will debate the committee’s report soon.
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MPs Push NEMA to Implement Nationwide Ban on Asbestos Roofing