The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has digitized its licensing process, shifting all environmental permit applications to a centralized online platform aimed at cutting delays and boosting revenue.
The Integrated Environmental Information Management System (ENVIS) will now serve as a one-stop shop for over 1,000 licenses and permits. Applicants can submit documents, make payments, and receive approvals digitally.
NEMA targets to collect Ksh2 billion through the system by June 2026, alongside revenue from 10 new regulations set to take effect this year.
Director General Mamo Boru said the digital platform will significantly reduce bureaucracy and shorten approval timelines.
“For the first time in Kenya’s environmental governance, you can apply, pay, and receive a digitally signed lisence with a QR code from the comfort of your office or home,” he said during the launch.
Processing timelines that previously took 30–60 days will now be cut to between 5 and 21 days. High-risk projects such as oil pipelines will undergo stricter reviews, taking up to 45 days.
Previously, applicants submitted up to 10 physical copies of environmental reports, a process that slowed down approvals. “Now reports are submitted and reviewed digitally within a day,” Boru noted.
The ENVIS platform also allows real-time tracking of applications and reduces human interaction, a move expected to curb revenue leakages.
The system is integrated with NEMA’s Geographic Information System (GIS) lab, launched in 2022, which maps all 2,324 regulated facilities nationwide. Inspectors can now access compliance data through a mobile app, improving monitoring and enforcement.
Boru further highlighted NEMA’s financial turnaround, noting that revenues have grown from Sh235 million in 2019—when the agency faced insolvency, to Ksh1.2 billion currently.
“At the time, the agency had accumulated losses of Ksh78.3 million and negative working capital of Sh212.9 million,” he said.
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