Kibos Residents demonstrate over pollution of river in the area.

A section of the residents of Kibos area and human rights activists engage in a peaceful demonstration today in Kisumu City to protest an alleged pollution of river Kibos by Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries-Photo By Dickson Odhiambo

By Dickson Odhiambo.

October 8, 2019.

Kibos Residents demonstrate over pollution of river in the area.

A SECTION of the residents of Kibos area in Kisumu East Sub-County has today held a peaceful demonstration within some streets in Kisumu to protest against pollution of a river through raw effluent from a sugar factory within the area.

The residents who carried twigs and placards staged their peaceful demonstration within a section of the streets in Kisumu City and tried to present a petition to the County Assembly but in vain.

The claim that Kibos Sugar and Allied Industries is heavily polluting River Kibos while remitting raw and pungent effluent into it thereby affecting them by not using its water for domestic purposes.

They walked all the way from Kibos area estimated to be more than 10 kilometers while carrying bottles of contaminated water from the said ill-fated river to the city center where they tried to register their complaint with the County Assembly of Kisumu but ant-riot police barred them from access the facility.

A human rights’ activist Boniface Akatch who accompanied the protestors during the peaceful demonstration said the public should boycott all the products from the company until it stops emitting raw effluent as has been accused so far.

Akatch want the Members of the County Assembly of Kisumu to intervene and ensure that the pollution of the River Kibos does not continue, adding that the residents are really tired of the raw effluent emitted into the river.

“We are very tired with this company that keeps on polluting River Kibos because we have suffered enough in its hands and the Government should do something in regard to this,” they shouted near the County Assembly of Kisumu.

Rose Kaggia from Kibos Nubian area said it is very unfortunate that the river is being heavily polluted but no one is taking action against those doing it.

She says even the officials from the National Environmental Management Authority have visited the area and has witnessed the pollution of the river.

“Various officers have been coming here even to collect the sample of the water from the river that is being polluted but we have never been told the way forward on how to stop this heavy pollution,” the residents added.

The management of Kisumu Sugar and Allied Industries has not responded to the allegation of polluting River Kibos through raw effluent from their said sugar factory and its allied industries.

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