Summary of Environmental Laws

ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN KENYA

by
NEMA LEAD EXPERT
Ms Joan Kithika

EMCA, 1999

Environmental Management and Coordination Act, 1999

Assented to in1999 and commenced in 2000.
An ACT of Parliament to provide for the establishment

of an appropriate legal and institutional framework for the
management of the environment and for the matters
connected therewith and incidental thereto.
EMCA, 1999
Institutions under EMCA
NEMA: National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) is to exercise
general supervision and co-ordination over all matters relating to the environment
and to be the principal instrument of Government in the implementation of all
policies relating to the environment/
NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL: responsible for policy formulation

directions for the purposes of the Act. The Council also sets national goals
and objectives, and determines policies and priorities for the protection of the
environment.
PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEES:

Contribute to decentralisation of environmental management and enable
participation of local communities.
EMCA, 1999
PUBLIC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE:

provides the administrative mechanism for addressing environmental harm.
Section 58 of EMCA requires an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

ASSESSMENT LICENSE
(2) No licensing authority under any law in force in Kenya shall issue a licence
for any project for which an environmental impact assessment is required
under the Act unless the applicant produces to the licensing authority a
licence of environmental impact assessment issued by the Authority
under these Regulations.
EIA REGULATIONS
Regulation 4 (3) states that No licensing authority under any law in force in Kenya
shall issue a trading, commercial or development permit or license for any
micro project activity likely to have cumulative significant negative
environmental impact before it ensures that a strategic environmental
plan encompassing mitigation measures and approved by the Authority is in place.
NOISE REGULATIONS, 2009

These Regulations prohibit a production of any loud,
unreasonable, unnecessary or unusual noise which
annoys, disturbs, injures or endangers the comfort, repose,
health or safety of others and the environment.
Specific sections have requirements

that apply to wetlands in Kenya
either inREGULATIONS,
private or public land. 2009
WETLAND
The regulations empower the District Environment Committee
to co-ordinate, monitor and advise on
all aspects of wetland resource management
within the district.
WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS

This includes the following:
Protection of sources of water for domestic use;
Water for industrial use and effluent discharge;
Water for agricultural use.
These Regulations outline:
Quality standards for sources of domestic water;

Quality monitoring for sources of domestic water;
Standards for effluent discharge into the environment;
Monitoring guide for discharge into the environment;
Standards for effluent discharge into public sewers.
License to discharge to the environment.
WASTE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS

These Regulations apply to all categories of waste .
These include:
Industrial wastes;
Hazardous and toxic wastes;
Pesticides and toxic substances;
Biomedical wastes;
Radio-active substances.
These regulations outline requirements for handling, storing,
transporting, and treatment/ disposal of all waste categories.
Disposal of waste by NEMA licensed company.
CONTROLLED SUBSTANCES
These are basically ozone depleting gases
One needs a license to:
Produce Controlled Substances.

Import Controlled Substances.
Transport Controlled Substances through Kenya.
Export Controlled Substances.
THE EMCA(CONSERVATION OF
BIOLOGICAL DIVERSITY RESOURCES,
ACCESS TO GENETIC RESOURCES
AND BENEFIT SHARING) REGULATIONS,
2006
Environmental Impact Assessment Licence to:
Engage in activities with an adverse impact on any ecosystem;

lead to the introduction of any exotic species;
lead to unsustainable use of natural resources,
Any person who intends to access genetic resources in Kenya
needs an Access permit for genetic resources in Kenya
with a certificate from National Council for Science and Technology
THANK YOU

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ENVIRONMENTAL LAWS IN KENYA

Environmental Management and Coordination Act, 1999

An ACT of Parliament to provide for the establishment

NATIONAL ENVIRONMENT COUNCIL: responsible for policy formulation

PROVINCIAL AND DISTRICT ENVIRONMENT COMMITTEES:

PUBLIC COMPLAINTS COMMITTEE:

Section 58 of EMCA requires an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT

NOISE REGULATIONS, 2009

Specific sections have requirements

WATER QUALITY REGULATIONS

Quality standards for sources of domestic water;

License to discharge to the environment.

WASTE MANAGEMENT REGULATIONS

Produce Controlled Substances.

Engage in activities with an adverse impact on any ecosystem;

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