NEMA SETS SEPTEMBER 30 DEADLINE FOR REVIEW OF PENDING LICENSE APPLICATIONS

Kenyans who submitted applications for National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) licenses before August 1, 2025, have been directed to follow up on their requests through their respective application centres.

In a notice issued on Wednesday, September 17, 2025, the Authority explained that the follow-ups are meant to facilitate the review of all pending applications and allow for the issuance of a Record of Decision (RoD). An RoD is the official statement issued by NEMA after completing the evaluation of a project’s Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), confirming whether the project has been approved or declined.

According to NEMA, all technical reviews of the pending applications must be finalized within the next two weeks, by September 30, 2025. Applicants with submissions made before August 1 are therefore required to contact the NEMA offices where they filed their documents to ensure that all outstanding review issues are resolved.

The Authority further cautioned that failure to comply will force it to make a Record of Decision based solely on the documents already submitted and available records. Any applications that remain unresolved after September 30 will be considered closed, and unsuccessful applicants will be required to reapply afresh under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA), Cap 387, and related regulations.

This directive comes just two months after NEMA rolled out two digital platforms — the Integrated Environment Information Management System (ENVIS) and the Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System — in July 2025. The systems were launched to streamline access to NEMA services, enhance coordination with other lead agencies, and support real-time data sharing for better decision-making.

However, the rollout sparked criticism from environmental stakeholders, led by the Environmental Institute of Kenya, who accused NEMA of bypassing public participation. They argued that while digitization was a step forward in reducing inefficiencies, inclusive consultation was necessary to ensure smoother implementation and reduce bureaucracy.