A section of Members of Parliament (MPs) hailing from Wajir County have called on the Director of Criminal Investigation (DCI) to conduct investigations into claims that toxic nuclear waste was dumped in Northern Kenya.
Former Lugari MP Cyrus Jirongo in a recent interview claimed that cancer-causing waste was dumped in the region during the late former President Daniel Moi’s regime.
Led by Wajir South MP Mohammed Adow, the lawmakers called for thorough investigations into these allegations.
Speaking at a press conference at Parliament buildings on April 9, 2024, the legislators challenged the DCI to arrest Jirongo and compel him to shed more light on his alleged conversation with the late President Moi over the dumping under the guise of oil exploration.
“We are laymen and therefore not sure of the veracity of Jirongo’s claims. “That is why we are calling for thorough investigations,” said Wajir MP Aden Daud Mohamed.
The legislators further noted that if the information was true, then the Moi administration was guilty of committing genocide against the people of Northern Kenya.
Wajir MPs Call for Govt Action
At the press conference, the legislators said that it was time the government laid rest the incessant rumors on the course of cancer prevalence in the region linked to the dumping of toxic waste.
“For the last 30 years, people in the north have been complaining of high incidences of cancer. Time has come for transparency,” said Mohamed Adow, arguing that the region has gone through a cancer epidemic.
Also Read: Jirongo Reveals Details of Cancer-Causing Waste Dumped During KANU Regime
Among the areas in the north that have been linked to the dumping are West and South of Wajir County and the Northern side of Garissa County.
At the same time, Muslims in Isiolo County also demanded that the government compensate families that have lost relatives to cancer in Northern Kenya.
The leaders were speaking during Eid-ul-Fitr prayers at the Isiolo Islamic Institute Mosque in Tuluroba on Wednesday, April 10, 2024.
They further called upon the government to provide free treatment for the deadly disease in the region following allegations of toxic nuclear waste dumping.
The community made the remarks as they expressed fury over government’s continued silence in the wake of the allegations by Jirongo.
“It is so sad that the government that should protect its citizens is exposing our people to such risks. Leaders from Northern Kenya should focus on finding a solution to the man-made cancer menace instead of continually asking the government to declare drought and floods a national disaster,” said the leaders led by Borana Council of Elders Secretary Jimale Golicha and youth leader Osman Shariff.
In addition, they asked the government to exhume and destroy the waste to prevent more deaths and environmental degradation, warning that failure to promptly do so will prompt legal action.
Jirongo Over Dumping of Toxic Waste
Their demands came after the Former Lugari MP revealed details of toxic waste dumping in Northeastern Kenya under KANU regime.
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In an interview with lawyer PLO Lumumba, Jirongo made the revelation saying that the late Jimmy Choge who was by then Nicholas Biwott’s lawyer handed him documents that contained details of the dumping.
The former legislator further in the interview narrated how he took the documents to Statehouse to confront President Moi about their validity.
“I haven’t talked about this before. In my naivety, I decided to confront President Moi. I have never been in trouble. Moi made noise and ranted for 30 minutes, demanding to know where I got the documents from,” he added.
According to his revelation, the late President went in to caution him against revealing details of their conversation to anyone and never to expose the discussion that had ensued between them.
However, a report submitted to the Senate by former Health CS Mutahi Kagwe dismissed any assumptions that the Northeastern region contained most prevalent cases of cancer.
According to the 2022 report, Nyeri (2,127), Murang’a (2,123), Kirinyaga (2,033), Embu (1,906), Taita Taveta (1,884) and Machakos counties have the highest cancer prevalence for every 100,00 people in Kenya.
