GAZETTE NOTICE NO. 2323

PURSUANT to Regulation 21 of the Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations, 2003, the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has received an Environmental Impact Assessment Study Report for the above proposed project. The proponent, Winfred Njeri Muiruri, proposes to construct a zip line drone station that will comprise of drone launching pads, recovery area, control office, flight operations office and other associated facilities and amenities. The project will be located at land parcel Nos. Kisumu Sidho East 2788, 2912, 2903 and 1844 in Muhoroni Sub- County, Kisumu county. The following are the anticipated impacts and proposed mitigation measures: Impacts Mitigation Measures Disruption of existing natural environment and modification of micro climate • Development restricted to approved density, building line, and plot coverage and ratio. • Careful layout and orientation of building to respect wind and sun direction. • Drones generated turbulences to be reduced through improved drone carrier designs and a proper operations spacing. • Afforestation of the vegetation which might be destroyed. • Enhanced use of green energy for operations e.g. solar power. Solid waste • Harmonize building scale with existing development in the neighbourhood. • Reuse of excavated soil for landscaping and planting trees and flowers to restore part of the biodiversity within the site. Air pollution • All machinery and equipment should be maintained in good working conditions to ensure minimum emission including carbon monoxide, oxides of nitrogen and sulphur. • Masks should be provided to all personnel in dust generation areas throughout the period of construction. • Sprinkling water regularly on dust prone areas. Risk of fire • All site staff to be trained on the fire safety procedures, emergency response and use of firefighting equipment. 24th February, 2023 THE KENYA GAZETTE Impacts Mitigation Measures • Establish fire assembly points on site and on the drone cargo landing sites. • Install fire alarms. Visual impacts • Avoiding prop flickering issues by adjusting flight directions in such a manner that the drone is not going to face sun. • Appropriate site selection to avoid areas used for tourism and recreation. • Adjusting the location of launching pads to reduce perceived visual impacts. • Designing of drone station according to the peculiarities of the site and with sensitivity to the surrounding landscape. • Selection of neutral colour and anti- reflective paint for towers. • Lights for the exposed launching towers. Noise pollution • Use planning tools-standard industry software that predicts specific noise impacts on nearby buildings. • Stakeholder engagement with potentially affected households and businesses. • Improved design to reduce the aerodynamic noise of a drone in motion. • sound-attenuated equipment will be used as much as possible. Impacts on avifauna and bats • Careful flight path selection to avoid important bird habitats and bird migration routes. • Bird flight activities within the flight path and the station should be recorded and analysed. • Restrict construction activities to non- breeding periods for avifauna to help reduce the negative effects of bird disturbance. • Pattern paint the drones and the station pads to increase the visual acuity of raptors. • Short-term shutdowns (in which the drones do not turn during peak migration events) to minimise bird mortality. Reception of radio waves and weather radar electromagnetic interferences • Careful site selection to avoid installing the station within the line-of-sight of radar or telecommunications facilities. • Consider using materials made from synthetic materials, which produced less electromagnetic interference compared to steel materials. • Install deflectors or repeaters to overcome the problem of already existing station and drones induced electromagnetic interference. Insecurity • Thorough stakeholder engagement, including prior consultation, participatory decision-making, and information disclosure and dissemination. • Proper maintenance of the drones especially the parachutes which engage its gears and opens if a drone stalls on its way. • Appropriate agencies to be incorporated to ensure there is some level of oversight or transparency. • The appropriate agencies to be incorporated to ensure there is some level of oversight or transparency. Impacts Mitigation Measures • Government agencies can ensure the public there is no intrusion through technology via use of effective surveillance methods. Airspace traffic • Running a preflight checklist with the all drone operators and KCAA. • Confirming the drone’s flight plan with KCAA to reduce any collision • Co-ordinating with the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority in order to request flight clearance. • Maintaining the permitted flight altitude. • Tracking the drone when airborne and redirect it when necessary. • Proper maintenance of data relying equipments to reduce false information and storage of the flight data to enhance proper recording and documentation. The full report of the proposed project is available for inspection during working hours at: (a) Principal Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forestry, NHIF Building, 12th Floor, Ragati Road, Upper Hill, P.O. Box 30126–00100, Nairobi. (b) Director-General, NEMA, Popo Road, off Mombasa Road, P.O. Box 67839–00200, Nairobi. (c) County Director of Environment, Kisumu County. A copy of the report can be downloaded at www.nema.go.ke 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 decision making process regarding this project. Comments can also be emailed to dgnema@nema.go.ke MAMO B. MAMO, Director-General, MR/4217282 National Environment Management.