GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 6970

PURSUANT to regulation 21 of Environmental (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, the National Environment Management Authority, (NEMA) has received an environmental impact assessment study report for the implementation of the proposed Kilimanjaro Community Trust Fence. The proposed development involves laying down five strands wire, whereby three will be live wires and two earth wires. The fence shall cover a distance of 25 kilometres in total. The proposed fence shall extend from the southern end of the existing Kimama fence running at the lower edge of the Loitoktok farmland and ends near the International boundary of Kenya and Tanzania making a length of 25 km. The Kilimanjaro community fence is located in Kajiado South Division, Rift Valley Province. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures. Possible Environmental Impacts Suggested Mitigation Measures Loss of vegetation Restrict clearing only to fence alignment section. Use some trees which falls under fence line as posts. Vegetation trampling Fence line to follow park-community land boundary as much as is possible. Vegetation degradation due to restricted animal movement Drive or walk along designated tracks. Scientific management of the mega herbivores in the park. Loss of soil micro organism Human labor to be used during clearance, transportation of materials to site and installation. Avoid use of heavy machineries. Bar elephants access to watering points and salt licks Provide alternative watering points and salt lick supplements. Soil erosion Human labor to be used during clearance, transportation of materials to site and installation. Allow regeneration of graminoid layer along the fence line after installation to cover the soil. Soil compaction Minimized use of heavy vehicles for poles transportation. Human labor to be used as much as is possible. Air pollution and vegetation destruction Pole treatment done outside the national park area and far from human settlements. Choice of pole treatment area to be relatively open and void of important plant species. Appropriate disposal of the treatment oil and chemicals. Increased solid waste (from the construction and implementing team) Appropriate waste material disposal methods to be employed; bins to be used and later disposed to designated municipal disposal sites. Cleared trees and construction material remnant. Cleared trees and shrubs to be disposed as firewood and logs using the existing Park Department legal procedures. Possible Environmental Impacts Suggested Mitigation Measures Fence vandalism by Establish community park policing. poachers Increase community conservation education awareness. Establish alternative income generating projects that are conservation compatible to reduce dependency on the park resources. Enhance the existing conservation compatible community projects. Encourage community subsistence agriculture. Electric shock Sensitization and creation of awareness. Fence destruction source of park fire Fix lightning arrestors strategically. Regular maintain the fence maintenance track to act as fire break. Skin injuries from fallen nails or wires and tree stumps Awareness and proper advice to those involved. Workers should not walk bare-footed during clearance and fence construction. Provide protective working gears. Provision of First aid kits whenever work is in progress. Falling injuries in the dug post holes No holes should be left dug overnight. Workers advised on taking safety precautions. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Director-General, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. (b) Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Mineral Resources, N.H.I.F. Building, Community, P.O. Box 30521, Nairobi. (c) Provincial Director of Environment, Rift Valley Province. (d) District Environment Officer, Kajiado District. The National Environment Management Authority invites members of the public to submit oral or written comments within thirty (30) days from the date of publication of this notice to the Director-General, NEMA, to assist the Authority in the approval process of the project. B. M. LANGWEN, for Director-General, MR7362441 National Environment Management Authority.