NAIROBI, Kenya — The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to businesses with pending licence applications, warning that unresolved submissions risk being closed and applicants forced to restart the process under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA).
In a public notice on Wednesday, the agency directed all clients with applications lodged before August 1, 2025, to contact NEMA offices and address outstanding technical review issues before September 30.
“Failure to comply with the above, the Authority will proceed to make the Record of Decision based on the submitted documents and all available records,” NEMA said.
A Record of Decision (RoD) is the formal outcome of an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), indicating whether a project is approved or rejected.
The ultimatum comes amid the rollout of NEMA’s new Integrated Environment Information Management System (ENVIS) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) platform, introduced in July to improve efficiency, transparency, and accountability in environmental licensing.
Pushback from Experts
The transition has, however, drawn criticism from the Environmental Institute of Kenya (EIK), which represents licensed environmental experts.
EIK has faulted the rollout as rushed and poorly executed, claiming it has left thousands of practitioners unable to access the system, stalling projects and contracts across the country.
“We, as experts, were given only six hours’ notice before the new system was implemented, which left much to be desired on our part,” said EIK chair Alex Mugambi.
While acknowledging the platform’s potential to streamline approvals, the institute has called for a temporary return to the old system while a structured transition is carried out.
In a statement, it warned that systemic legal, procurement, and technical gaps needed urgent attention.
NEMA maintains that the directive is necessary to clear backlogs and align all applications with the new digital framework.
The authority has urged businesses to act swiftly to avoid losing their place in the approval process.
The standoff highlights the wider challenge of digitising regulatory systems in Kenya, where reforms aimed at efficiency often face resistance over execution gaps and lack of consultation.
