By Anchor Writers
A long-running dispute over the proposed Lambodat Cement Company plant at Itimboni in Mavoko has taken a fresh twist after residents accused security officers and the project’s proponents of frustrating a public participation exercise they say should never have taken place.
The latest confrontation unfolded last Monday near the unfinished Kyumbi interchange along Mombasa Road during what residents described as the fourth public participation meeting on the proposed cement processing plant.
The meeting proceeded despite the County Government of Machakos having previously suspended the project’s change of user, prompting residents to question why another public participation exercise was being conducted under the provincial administration.
Residents claim they requested the Mavoko Deputy County Commissioner to halt the exercise, arguing that the county’s suspension had rendered it unnecessary.
They allege the meeting nevertheless proceeded under heavy police presence led by officers from Kyumbi Police Station.
The residents further alleged that youths hired by the developer disrupted the meeting by heckling local residents opposed to the project, making it difficult for genuine residents to present their views.
They also accused the Officer Commanding Station (OCS) at Kyumbi of confiscating placards carried by young people who had turned up to peacefully express their opposition to the proposed factory.
More than 200 residents are said to have submitted signed objections during the exercise, while residents claimed many of those supporting the project had been mobilised from outside Itimboni.
Speaking after the meeting, Itimboni Residents Community Chairman Dr. Timothy Kilonzo said the community’s opposition dates back to 2024, when 215 residents formally petitioned the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the Machakos County Government.
“We are not against development or industrialisation. What we oppose is the establishment of a heavy industry within a residential neighbourhood,” he said.
According to Dr. Kilonzo, the proposed cement processing plant is incompatible with the area’s land-use designation, arguing that Itimboni is zoned for light industrial activities while cement processing falls under heavy industry.
He said the county government had previously indicated willingness to identify an alternative site designated for heavy industry.
Dr. Kilonzo also raised concerns over the potential environmental and public health impacts of the project, citing emissions associated with cement processing, dust pollution and the proximity of homes, schools and health facilities.
He noted that the proposed site is surrounded by densely populated residential estates, educational institutions including Leaders Academy and St. Stephen’s Girls School, as well as Kyumbi Level 3 Hospital and Maanzoni Lodge.
“The people living here, school children and even patients in nearby health facilities would be exposed to the effects of dust and industrial emissions if the project is allowed to proceed,” he said.
He further argued that livestock reared within the neighbourhood could also be affected by contaminated grazing fields.
The residents insist that the County Government had already suspended the project and revoked its change of user. Dr. Kilonzo cited a letter dated July 3 from the County Executive Committee Member for Lands reaffirming the suspension and urged Governor Wavinya Ndeti to stand by the county’s earlier decision.
“We are asking the Governor to protect her people by maintaining the suspension and ensuring this project is relocated to an area designated for heavy industry,” he said.
Dr. Kilonzo dismissed the latest public participation exercise as repetitive and unnecessary, saying residents had consistently rejected the proposal in every forum convened, including one held in Nairobi despite the project being located in Mavoko.
“This is the fourth public participation. Every time we have rejected the proposal because the location is wrong. Our position has never changed,” he said.
The latest confrontation has intensified questions over whether the public participation process met the constitutional standards of openness, fairness and meaningful public involvement.
Article 33 of the Constitution guarantees freedom of expression, while Article 37 protects the right to peaceful assembly, demonstration, picketing and petition. Public participation is also recognised as a national value under Article 10.
The community has now engaged a legal team to advise on the next course of action, while the area MCA has submitted objections to NEMA.
When contacted by The Anchor over allegations that police confiscated residents’ placards, the Kyumbi OCS said he also considers Kyumbi his home despite serving there and noted that although police officers are transferred from one station to another, they remain members of the communities they serve.
The proposed cement plant continues to divide opinion, with residents vowing to pursue every legal avenue available to stop what they describe as the establishment of a heavy industrial facility in the middle of a growing residential neighbourhood.
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