Environment CS Adan Duale recently informed the National Assembly Public petitions committee that the high number of cancer incidents could be partly related to the high number of buildings whose roofing is still made of asbestos material.
He also informed members of the committee that among the many public buildings still donning asbestos roofing is the Kenyatta National Hospital which attends to cancer patients. Other institutions include schools, government administrative buildings, hospitals, and churches distributed across all the 47 counties in the country.
“Now that it is raining everywhere, the water that comes from these asbestos roofs with all the hazards it has, is what Kenyans are drinking. It is very unfortunate to say that and I apologize on behalf of the previous administrations.” The CS further stated.
The asbestos roof is comprised of materials such as fibers that are non-biodegradable. In case these materials are inhaled by a human, they stick in the lungs, leading to clogging and eventually resulting in lung cancer.
Across the globe, more than 50 countries across the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, and most EU countries have already done away with the asbestos roofing after an increment of asbestos related lung cancers.
The Kenyan government had set December 30th 2024 as the deadline for all institutions to replace asbestos roofing with more environmental friendly roofs. Unfortunately, most of the non-compliant institutions are yet to comply with the governments directive.
Despite the renewed efforts to enforce the ban, here is why I think it will not work;
He also informed members of the committee that among the many public buildings still donning asbestos roofing is the Kenyatta National Hospital which attends to cancer patients. Other institutions include schools, government administrative buildings, hospitals, and churches distributed across all the 47 counties in the country.
“Now that it is raining everywhere, the water that comes from these asbestos roofs with all the hazards it has, is what Kenyans are drinking. It is very unfortunate to say that and I apologize on behalf of the previous administrations.” The CS further stated.
The asbestos roof is comprised of materials such as fibers that are non-biodegradable. In case these materials are inhaled by a human, they stick in the lungs, leading to clogging and eventually resulting in lung cancer.
Across the globe, more than 50 countries across the world including the United States, the United Kingdom, and most EU countries have already done away with the asbestos roofing after an increment of asbestos related lung cancers.
The Kenyan government had set December 30th 2024 as the deadline for all institutions to replace asbestos roofing with more environmental friendly roofs. Unfortunately, most of the non-compliant institutions are yet to comply with the governments directive.
Despite the renewed efforts to enforce the ban, here is why I think it will not work;
- High removal costs – the need for specialized labor, need for protective gears as well need for the license for a landfill may raise the overall costs substantially, which may have not been planned for prior to the government directive.
- New roofing material costs – after removal of old asbestos material, the cost of replacing with a brand new biodegradable roof needs to be factored in.
- Complexity of removal – a building in use such as a hospital ward may pose a lot of challenges as some of these facilities are always in high demand. There is also the risk of damage to other existing structures. Poor weather conditions such as the current heavy rains may further complicate the removal process of the roof.
- Regulatory issues – the need to seek permits for new construction as well as license for a suitable land fill may further delay the process.
- Health and safety risks – the teams doing the replacement works are constantly exposed to the carcinogenic elements and if the necessary precautions are not undertaken, they may end up as cancer victims.
- Metallic roofs made from materials such as aluminum, iron, or steel.
- Clay and concrete tiles which are relatively durable and more affordable.
- Roof shingles which are quite sustainable
- Solar roofs which other than being eco-friendly, they also provide some energy efficiency to a building.
- Reinforced concrete roof slabs depending on the structural integrity of the existing building.
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