The Constitution of Kenya, 2010
Article 42 of the constitution of Kenya states that every person has a right to a clean and healthy environment. It provides for the protection of the environment with consideration to the current and future generations. The government is mandated to formulate regulations and to enforce the regulations to safeguard the environment and health of the people. Every citizen has the responsibility of conserving the environment.
Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) CAP 387.
It provides for a legal and regulatory framework to manage ecological and social economic matters of the environment. Part 111 section 7 (1), the Government of Kenya established National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), whose main task is to ensure that the laid out provisions of the Act are adhered to by all policies and projects both new and ongoing.
Environmental Impact Assessment and Audit Regulations 2016
These regulations provide the framework for carrying out environmental impact assessments and audits in Kenya by NEMA licensed experts and firms of experts. According to regulation NEMA may issue an improvement order for carrying out corrective measures for mitigating the environmental degradation.
The Occupational Safety and Health Act, 2007
The act looks at the safety, health and welfare of workers at workplaces. The act seeks to ensure that there is minimization of exposure of workers to hazards at their workplaces. The hazards at work place may include: Dangerous machinery/equipment, gases, fumes & vapors, energies, temperatures, and biological agents. The act prohibits the employment of children in workplaces to safeguard them against safety and health risks. It puts in place strategies to investigate work place accidents and a framework of reporting the incidents. This is aimed preventing similar accidents in future. The act promotes the development of safety culture at workplaces by educating and training the workers on occupational safety and health.