The Cabinet has approved a countrywide plan to remove asbestos from all public and private facilities to cut health risks linked to exposure.
The removal will be managed by the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) with county governments in charge of setting up designated disposal sites.
“Nema will oversee the safe removal, disposal, and handling of asbestos. County governments were urged to establish designated disposal sites,” reads the cabinet dispatch released on Tuesday.
The directive also makes it clear that property owners will pay for the removal process.
“Under the ‘Polluter Pays’ principle, property owners will bear the cost of removal,” reinforcing the cost-bearing responsibility,” the dispatch further reads
A cabinet meeting chaired by President William Ruto at State House Nairobi on Tuesday, March 11. PHOTO/PCS
Cabinet members believe the move will lower future disease cases, reduce healthcare expenses, and improve environmental safety.
Asbestos, used widely in the 1960s and 1970s, can still be found in many government buildings, hospitals, schools, and even water supply systems.
The material is linked to serious illnesses such as lung cancer and mesothelioma, a cancer affecting the lining of the lungs, abdomen, and heart.
This new decision follows an earlier directive from Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale in August 2024, which set a three-month deadline for removing asbestos and warned of legal action for non-compliance.
Duale instructed Nema to inform the affected institutions to dispose of the hazardous material.
National guidelines on the safe management of asbestos, first introduced in 2011 and revised in 2013, were developed with input from the Ministry of Health, the Directorate of Occupational Safety and Health Services, and the then City Council of Nairobi.