Coast Deputy County Commissioner Karung’o Kamau (Left) and Malindi OCPD Matawa Muchangi inspecting crabs being processed for export at the factory of Chinese operating a fish processing plant at Malindi. Photo-KBC TV
Security personnel raided a Chinese fish processing firm in Malindi following complaints from neighbours that they were operating in a residential area.
Regular police, Administration Police, Department of Criminal Investigation, Immigration officials and Public health ministry led by Mombasa deputy county Commissioner Karung’o Kamau stormed the factory at Casuarina area and demanded to know why they were operating without caring about the welfare of their neighbors.
The authorities said there were complaints of noise from a generator, bad smell, and a container that was partially blocking the road.
Police had a hard time communicating with one of the Chinese who was there as he could not speak English.
He had to call the owner of the Facility to come and issue all the permits, licenses and other documents for the authorities to confirm if indeed he was operating legally.
The DCC directed the Chinese to comply with the public health regulations so as to avoid conflicts with neighbors.
However, it emerged that late last year public health officials had directed the Chinese owner to set up a generator room to reduce sound and ensure there is no water running out of the gate with the smell of fish.
The factory is located at the center of a fleet of residential apartments which was bought by the Chinese investor to process fish for export.
The investor processes both live and dead fish including lobster, Crabs among others which are exported to China and Europe.
Naomi Kimani the owner the apartments bordering the factory owner said tenants majority of them foreigners living near the factory were suffering due to the activities going on at the factory.
She said the Chinese normally switches on the generator at night making it difficult for neighbours to sleep.
“The neighbors do not have peace, they call me every day complaining about the Chinese, we want the factory to be relocated away from the residential area because the current site is not convenient for such business,’’ she said on Saturday.
Already she said some tenants moved while others are planning to change apartments due to the inconveniences.
Ms. Kimani who deals in real estate claims it has also been difficult to sell her two apartments because of the Chinese factory.
She said the effort to get help from National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), health ministry and all relevant departments but nothing happened so far.
Tenants interviewed said even their children in school were unable to study at night while those who work at night are unable to sleep due to the noise.
Fernando Visit alias Masharubu a real estate investor neighboring the Chinese factory said they have security concerns due to movements throughout the night.
Running Zhang the owner of the company Helida International Trading Limited said he would comply with the regulations that had been set by the authorities so as to live in harmony with the neighbors.
He said they had already set up a generator room to reduce the noise, and were now planning to remove the container outside the apartments.
On the issue of bad smell, he said they would wash the fish inside the apartment to avoid inconveniencing neighbors.
Their lawyer Walter Mayaka who was also present said his clients had all documentation and will not fault the laws.