A National Housing Corporation (NHC) general manager is expected in court on September 4 to answer to charges of discharging a pollutant into the environment.
Chief magistrate Samuel Mungai said failure by Gideon Muange to appear in court next time will see an arrest warrant issued against him.
Muange’s lawyer told the court that his client was attending a crucial seminar and sought to have plea taking by his client deferred until a later date.
Prosecuting officer Stephen Wambua opposed the application to have the plea deferred and instead asked the court to issue a warrant of arrest against Muange whom he said has failed to show up in court twice.
“Similar reasons were given last time. The prosecution suspects the accused is not serious with the charges and is trying to evade coming to court to take plea,” said Wambua.
Muange, Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services Company (Nawassco) managing director James Ng’ang’a and Paul Kihumba, an officer in charge of sewerage at Nawassco, face joint charges of contravening the environmental management and co-ordination act.
The three allegedly negligently and without due care allowed sewer line at Nakuru’s Kabachia estate to discharge raw sewage into the environment, posing a health hazard to members of the public.
According to the charge sheet, the three are accused that on diverse dates between June 30 2013 and July 9 2014, the officers failed to exercise due diligence and efficiency by failing to repair the sewer line thus leading to discharge of the raw sewer into the environment.
The officers further faced charges of failing to comply with lawful orders issued by environment inspectors.
Earlier on, the charges were amended by the prosecution before being presented in court for the accused to take pleas. However, only Ng’ang’a and Kihumba availed themselves, forcing the court to set a new date for plea taking.