About 10km east of Meru town on the newly tarmacked Mati road in Imenti Central sits Kaguma, which was a sleepy shopping centre a few years ago.
But today it's bursting with life and loads of cash courtesy of the lucrative quarrying business. Those leasing their farms go home with at least Sh20,000 daily, calculated from the number of building blocks extracted from their property. While operators sell each block for Sh35, farm owners are paid Sh5.
Mr Martin Murithi was among the first people to exploit the resource in the area about six years ago. At the time, he says, they would ensure that operators adhered to environmental rules, including filling up pits where soil is scooped up to give way for quarrying.
But greed and the desire to exploit others has set in, breeding a crop of investors who are bent on maximising profits, with residents claiming that investors don’t care about the environment while they exploit naïve land owners with lopsided contracts.
Environmental laws have been thrown out of the window and residents must cope with dust and noise in a 24-hour economy and gaping holes left after exploitation, while the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) has been accused of abdicating its duty.
A tour of the area reveals that there are several homes surrounded by quarries, with deep holes near houses. Schools and churches have not been spared, with children having to learn in classes covered with layers of dust.
While the dust is unbearable during dry weather, when it rains, the area is prone to landslides, with several people reported killed in the quarries.
Ms Harriet Kagendo shows cracks on her house at Kaguma, Imenti central caused by quarrying activities. Other houses have been left on cliffs after deep holes were dug near homes.
Photo credit: Gitonga Marete I Nation Media Group
“We cannot grow vegetables here because when the lorries ferrying blocks move on the narrow roads, they kick up clouds of dust that engulf the entire area. Vegetables are also covered in dust,” said resident Celina Kithinji.
Ms Doreen Mwirigi recounted how she had to move out of her home in October 2020 after her houses were submerged in mud. Her husband had leased their one-acre plot to an investor and a heap of soil scooped up from the area was deposited near her home.
“When it rained, the soil was swept into my house and I spent three months in a rented house at the shopping centre. Later, the investor abandoned the quarry, saying machines had failed to excavate further due to a hard layer of rock. The land is now not productive,” she said.
Her husband, Mr George Bundi, said the investor paid them Sh600,000 for the lease and they were to get a further Sh5 for each block.
“This happened for a few days before we were informed that the quarry could not continue being exploited, with the investor citing the hard layer,” Mr Bundi said, adding that they were looking for another investor.
“The contract started in August 2020 and ended after one year, but since we did not get the money we anticipated, they have not come back. We are exploring other options, including renewing the contract or looking for another investor who will finish the job,” Mr Bundi said.
Several residents we interviewed also cited a lack of clarity in the contracts they signed, saying they had gone to court to seek their nullification after they discovered they were duped.
Houses left on cliffs after deep holes were dug near homes.
Photo credit: Gitonga Marete I Nation Media Group
Since most quarries are not fenced, residents say several domestic animals have died in the holes after falling there while they are a danger to children, adding that their beds are covered with dust, with children suffering from respiratory diseases after inhaling the dust.
Ms Hariet Kagendo says her houses have developed cracks due to heavy machines that were used in excavating a quarry near her home.
“Due to dust, we wash our clothes at night and during the day cover them with polythene paper. Despite the money we get from the quarries, our lives have been turned upside down and when we cook, our food is filled with dust, which has become part of our diet,” she said.
Mr Henry Muraa, an environmental expert, says there is a big problem in the exploitation of the resource because many questions have been left unanswered.
He says after an area has been identified for quarrying, there should be change of user for land from agricultural to commercial, which is never done, leaving owners vulnerable to exploitation.
“This is agricultural land and the use has not been changed to industrial, which means the investors are leasing land at very low prices getting a lot of money while the owners are exploited,” he said.
He also says exploitation of the resource without adhering to environmental laws is a health and societal disaster in waiting.
“With the entire area covered with dust, respiratory diseases have started affecting residents. The buildings have cracks and people complain silently,” he said.
“We are not opposed to exploitation of the quarry but it must be done in conformity with established environmental regulations and Nema should be held responsible.”
But Nema county director Mark Angwenyi denied claims that the environment watchdog had neglected its responsibility of policing quarry activities, saying once they issue a licence, they ensure there is compliance.
“Once owners have decided to lease their farms, nobody can stop them and it is a matter of negotiation between the investor and the land owners. We cannot interfere in those agreements, but we ensure all rules are adhered to,” Mr Angwenyi said.
Mr Jeff Muriungi, a quarry manager in the area, said sometimes investors face challenges such as machines breaking down, forcing them to scale down operations or abandon them altogether.
“It is not our wish to abandon the quarries. The investor leases land and scoops up soil, which is used to refill the holes. But when it rains, the soil is swept away and there is nothing we can do,” he said.
“Regarding exploitation, this is a willing buyer and seller [arrangement] and we don’t force anyone to sign leases they are not comfortable with.”
