"Our Environment Is Destroyed": Thange Residents Still Suffer from KPC Oil Spill, a Decade Later

 

Ten years after a devastating oil spillage from the Kenya Pipeline Company (KPC), the residents of Thange Village in Makueni County are still living in the shadow of environmental destruction, water contamination, and a growing public health crisis.

The spillage, which occurred on May 12, 2015, after a suspected leak along the Mombasa-Nairobi pipeline, led to the contamination of River Thange. Despite containment efforts, petroleum had already seeped into the soil and water table by June of the same year, turning once fertile farmlands into toxic wastelands and rendering local water sources unsafe.

Speaking before the Senate Standing Committee on Energy, chaired by Dr. Oburu Odinga, Thange MCA Erick Musyoki Katumo painted a grim picture of a village still battling the spill’s aftermath. “The oil spillage destroyed our agricultural land. It’s no longer productive, and the water is poisoned,” Katumo said, calling for immediate intervention.

The environmental fallout has been catastrophic. A region once lush with crops like maize, kale, and pawpaws now imports food from towns as far as Wote. Livestock miscarriages have surged, and vegetation has vanished. More than five wells and boreholes have been sealed off after testing positive for petroleum traces and suspected lead contamination.

Makueni Governor Mutula Kilonzo Junior confirmed the oil lies buried 15 feet underground, slowly poisoning the ecosystem. “We’re losing lives. Kidney failure and cancer are on the rise, and people are spending over Ksh. 10,000 weekly on dialysis,” said the governor, urging KPC to be held accountable.

Senator Beatrice Ogolla added a chilling warning: if restoration efforts are not prioritized, Thange could become uninhabitable in 40 years.

Though KPC claimed the damage was confined to a one-kilometer area, further investigation revealed the contamination had spread downstream into Masongaleni Ward. Masongaleni MCA Bryan Kyalo Nzoka voiced concern over the toxic reach of River Thange, which now flows with chemical traces that continue to affect communities far beyond the spill’s origin.

KPC told the Senate that it had paid Ksh. 38 million in compensation to 342 affected households. But NEMA Director General Mamo Mamo emphasized that constitutional rights to a clean environment cannot be traded for short-term payouts. “This is a long-term problem. Monetary compensation doesn’t fix poisoned land,” echoed NEMA board member John Mutuse.

Senator Daniel Maanzo announced that KPC Managing Director Joe Sang would be summoned by the Senate to address the continuing crisis and discuss additional compensation, especially for communities along the entire 42-kilometer stretch of River Thange.

Governor Mutula concluded by calling for a Ksh. 100 billion deposit bond from KPC to fund future environmental restoration and health interventions. “The people of Thange deserve justice, not just in words, but in action. They deserve their lives back.”

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May 03, 2025