Residents from Slaughter Slum in Mavoko sub-county on Monday protested against discharge of sewer into streets by an abattoir belonging to the Machakos government.
The locals who addressed the press at the slum 100 metres away from the slaughter house said the discharge from the abattoir post health risks to the slum dwellers especially the under five aged children.
“Employees of the slaughter house release sewer into the roads at night thereby leading to flooding of this area as you can see. It contains dirty water mixed with cattle and camel’s blood,” said Jeremiah Waweru.
Waweru said several residents had suffered different illnesses related to the sewer contamination since the institution adopted the weird method two years ago.
Michael Basila, resident and bodaboda operator in the slum said the discharge which had flooded a section of the road hampers with their daily operations.
Basila said their customers are at times forced to alight at the point to prevent the sewer from sprinkling on them thereby causing them rashes and skin infections.
“These people release sewer on these roads each morning on a daily basis, the stench that comes from it is irritating and infectious,” said Basila.
The residents said their attempts to raise the issue with the abattoir’s management were futile claiming they were sent away and told that the facility was under the county government and therefore cannot be faulted.
The abattoir’s supervisor Joseph Kamani admitted the claims stating they have had the problem for close to two years now.
He said they started discharging sewer on the roads after a contractor hired by the county government blocked an existing sewer line from the slaughter house to allow for expansion of the abattoir.
Kamani said the sewer line was never unblocked since the contractor suspended his operations after the county government failed to pay him for his services.
“It is true we discharge sewer containing blood from slaughtered camels, goats and cattle on the roads leading to the Slaughter Slum as you can see, it is not out of our own making though,” said Kamani.
Kamani said the discharge was released at night because that is when the camels were slaughtered while cattle and goats were slaughtered early in the morning.
He said as the institution’s boss, he had raised the issue with leadership of the county government and was waiting for completion of the project’s expansion for the sewer line to be unblocked.