Bamburi Cement Rejects Shutdown Order
Bamburi Cement has defended itself over the safety concerns raised by Mombasa County residents who accused it of dumping coal dust on open fields.
In a statement issued on Tuesday, Bamburi explained that the dust emissions near the Mombasa Plant were a one-off incident caused by strong winds.
The factory noted that all operations were still ongoing, emphasizing that it is a compliant company with no records of environmental incidents since it began operations in 1954.
“Post the recent incident highlighted, our internal review established that this was a one-off occurrence caused by very strong unprecedented winds at the time of ground surface preparation at our coal storage facility. This is the first time we have experienced such an incident,” the statement read in part.
On Monday, the Mombasa County Government ordered the factory to temporarily shut down after residents complained that the dust affected their health, causing respiratory infections. Some resorted to putting on face masks to protect themselves from the dust.
This is after the officials from the county government and the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA) visited the company and reviewed all aspects of operations.
The officials listed six recommendations including reviewing the quality assessment report for coal, the controls on coal movement from the port to the plant, and the Air Quality Assessment.
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Mombasa County also recommended an additional sprinkling of water to suppress the fugitive dust and to reduce health hazards.
Further, the county government advocated for the factory to strengthen community engagement and handle complaints on a first-hand basis.
Also, a cross-functional committee was proposed to coordinate the factory’s operations effectively.
“Bamburi Cement Plc is fully complying with all the above-mentioned recommendations holds all valid operational licenses and has been operating responsibly for the last several decades,” the company stated.
While highlighting its commitment to a more robust approach in engaging with the locals, Bamburi noted that it was conducting various county activities through Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives such as educational scholarships, the Mother and Child Health Program, renovation of the Cancer Center in Coast General Hospital and road safety awareness training sessions to road users.
Bamburi now projects to decarbonize their operations in a bid to undergo a complete green transition. This will involve setting up 20 MW Solar power projects and shifting from road to rail which reduces the use of fossil fuel in their operations.
Bamburi Cement Rejects Shutdown Order