Reprieve for Menengai West residents as NECC orders fresh ESIA, halts GDC project

The National Environmental Complaints Committee (NECC) has directed the Geothermal Development Company (GDC) to conduct a new Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) for its Menengai West geothermal project, which effectively suspends further exploration activities.

In its report dated October 2, 2025, the committee cited inadequate public participation and unresolved air and noise pollution concerns relating to the company's Phase II operations. The NECC has instructed the GDC to initiate a new ESIA process and obtain a new licence from the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) before resuming any work on the project.

The committee also ordered the GDC to implement immediate mitigation measures for the health and environmental issues reported during Phase I, and recommended the establishment of a joint monitoring team comprising GDC and Menengai West Stakeholders Forum (MWESFO) representatives to oversee air quality and noise levels in the surrounding communities.

For residents who have long opposed the project, the ruling offers a glimmer of justice. According to local resident Timothy Ng’etich, the decision represents a breakthrough after years of frustration.

“It is a relief for us because at least there is somebody who can listen to us,” he says.

Mr Ng’etich recounts how residents have written more than ten letters to NEMA over the years, receiving little response. It was only after a delegation of fourteen community members visited NEMA’s offices in person that officials began an on-the-ground investigation.

"Since this problem began, we’ve been writing to NEMA, but they were rarely helpful. Now, we have been advised to submit our grievances again, which we will do, although we remain sceptical. Nevertheless, NECC’s action has given us renewed faith that oversight agencies can uphold environmental justice,” he adds.

He insists that GDC and its partner companies must now demonstrate good faith by engaging directly with the community.

"People are now informed. You cannot hold public participation meetings miles away from the affected communities and still claim to meet the inclusivity threshold,” remarks Ng’etich, noting that the project’s delay may ultimately work in the residents’ favour.

Beyond the ESIA directive, the NECC also urged the GDC to strengthen its community liaison structures, fulfil its long-promised corporate social responsibility commitments and ensure that future public participation exercises are transparent and inclusive.

The committee also advised GDC and MWESFO to establish a joint team to monitor noise emissions and air quality during Phase I, to ensure full compliance with environmental regulations.

NEMA and the Public Health Department have been tasked with supervising the implementation of corrective measures and enforcing environmental compliance under existing laws.

While the NECC’s recommendations may not yet be the final victory for the residents of Menengai West, they mark a significant step towards accountability in a struggle that has lasted more than a decade.