Currently in Kenya, there are no sufficient
and tangible government laws aimed at safeguarding the eco pureness of our
country hence the need to formulate concrete laws that will act as catalyst to
the government agencies to devise policies aimed at combating the effects of
global warming. Besides capping the maximum age of eight years on vehicles
being imported and the zero rating of VAT on bicycles as a way of reducing
pollution in the name of roadworthy vehicles and having eco friendly mode of
transport, the subject of having a fraud cum an eco friendly free mode of
transport has never been fully addressed. Developing countries like Kenya are
faced with bottlenecks in embracing global climate change initiatives due to
their relatively weak GDP which subsequently affects the purchasing power of
the general public who would rather buy aged motor vehicles due to their
pricing advantages but discharge high level of carbon emissions as opposed to
hybrid, LPG and bio fuel ran motor vehicles which are environmental friendly
but pricy.
What has already been done so far?
According to E D S van Vliet and
P L Kinney, [1]in their article Impacts
of Roadway Emissions on Urban Particulate Matter Concentrations in Sub-Saharan
Africa: New Evidence from Nairobi, Kenya, Published on 21 December 2007 they
observe that the lack of ambient monitoring data for particulate matter in SSA
(Sub-Saharan Africa) cities severely hinders our ability to describe temporal
and spatial patterns of concentrations, to characterize exposure–response
relationships for key health outcomes, to estimate disease burdens, and to
promote policy initiatives to address air quality. For example, we are aware of
no routine PM (Particulate Matter) 1.0 or PM 2.5 monitoring anywhere in SSA
other than South Africa prior to 2005. Besides capping the minimum age of eight
years on vehicles being imported and the zero rating of VAT on bicycles as way
reducing pollution in the name of un-roadworthy vehicles and having eco
friendly mode of transport, the subject of having a fraud cum an eco friendly
free mode of transport has never been fully addressed.
What needs to be done?
Given the increased levels in infrastructural
developments across the country there is need for routine PM10 or PM 2.5
monitoring so as to understand the levels of exposure and disease burdens may be especially
great for persons driving, working, or living near congested roadways. Particulate
Matter concentrations on and near roadways are especially important in SSA
because much transport, commerce, and other pedestrian activity takes place
there. Heavy-traffic roadways may create pollution hotspots where health risks
exceed those encountered more generally throughout a city, and where risks are
borne mainly by the poor Kinney and O’Neill 2006) hence the need to establish
air monitoring networks as basis of measuring and ascertaining exposure–response
relationships for key health outcomes, to estimate disease burdens, and to
promote policy initiatives to address air quality and lastly the need to
introduce telematics insurance but this requires government support to
Insurance Regulatory Authority to ensure
introduction of green levies on motor and other related policies and the
subsequent reinvestment of
green levy funds in eco friendly initiatives such as planting of palm oil trees
which is useful in production of bio fuels
.
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