Nakuru County Governor Susan Kihika Sentenced To 6 Months Jail Term

The High Court has sentenced Nakuru Governor, and Nakuru Water and Sanitation Services CEO Susan Kihika to a six-month civil jail term or pay a Ksh2 million fine. The governor was found guilty of contempt over illegal waste disposal into Lake Nakuru.

A suit filed at the Environment and Lands Court by Baboon Project Kenya alleged that both Kihika and Ng’ang’a have ignored an order issued on September 26, 2024, which permanently banned further waste disposal into the lake.

The court order, issued by the Environment and Lands Court, was intended to stop the continued pollution of Lake Nakuru, but the NGO claims that waste disposal has persisted, damaging the ecosystem.

“Susan Kihika being the Governor, officer, agent or servant of 1st respondent (County Government of Nakuru) be committed to prison for a term not exceeding 6 months for failing to comply with the order of this court made on 26th September 2024,”

Simon Mbuthia Gichohi, Director of Baboon Project Kenya, noted that despite being aware of the order, the county government and the water company have refused to comply. He added that the illegal disposal of industrial waste into the lake is severely degrading Lake Nakuru National Park and endangering species like baboons, which drink from its polluted waters.