An Assessment of the Kenya Quarry Sustainability Performance in Nairobi City County

Abstract

The extractive industry has visible and, sometimes, not so visible negative impacts on the operators, abutting communities and land uses. While relevant management authorities and operators have demonstrated their commitment to the restoration of the environment and attaining improved performance by formulating regulations under the key performance areas of sustainability in the industry, the Kenyan industry faces innumerable quarry-related disasters and stakeholders’ complaints on safety, environmental and socio-economic concerns. The formulation of sustainable quarrying guidelines by NEMA was necessitated by such concerns. The study investigated the establishment of sustainable quarrying factors and necessary compliance by the operators. The study aimed to determine level of awareness amongst the operators on sustainable quarrying activities and assess the overal contribution of the operators to sustainable quarrying in the investigated site. Qualitative and quantitative research designs provided details of the QOs perceptions on sustainable quarrying activities and drawing statistical conclusions respectively. The field data collection methods involved participant observation and informant interviewing of 31 QOs randomly sampled from 297 QOs using semistructured and structured interview techniques. Secondary data on the contribution of the quarrying industry was sourced from the Kenya National Statistics Bureau. The study found out that the majority of 71.0% of the QOs were not aware of the existence of the NEMA sustainable quarrying guidelines. The socio-economic variables of sustainability were well established and had a positive strong effects and contribution to sustainable quarrying. The environmental protection variables were least established and perceived to have no effects and contribution to sustainable quarrying. The environmental protection variables applied in the study area by QOs were the observation of buffers to river, residential units, schools, hospitals, shopping centers and aerodromes. The overall compliance levels of the QOs was poor and their activities had no contribution to sustainable quarrying in the study area. The study recommends the establishment of quarrying sustainability rating and excellent performance by the operators may be used as incentives for continued operation and access to other business opportunities. The authorizing agencies should undertake sensitization and awareness programmes within the study area on the sustainable quarrying guidelines and heighten enforcement and monitoring to ensure compliance with sustainable quarrying regulation for sustainability within the industry