The National Environment Management Authority has moved all its licensing and permit services online through a new digital platform designed to make the application process faster, more transparent and more efficient, while boosting revenue collection.
Through the Integrated Environmental Information Management System (Envis), Nema has consolidated more than 1,000 licences and permits into one portal, allowing applicants to apply, pay and receive approvals entirely online.
The agency expects to collect Sh2 billion through the system in the current financial year ending June 30, 2026, and an additional Sh5 billion from ten new regulations scheduled to be implemented this year.
Nema Director-General Mamo Boru said the platform replaces in-person applications and cuts processing timelines from between 30 and 60 days to between five and 21 days.
Applications for high-risk projects such as pipelines will take up to 45 days due to more extensive reviews.
“For the first time in Kenya’s environmental governance, you can apply, pay, and receive a digitally signed licence with a QR code from the comfort of your office or home,” said Boru.
In the past, applicants were required to submit up to ten physical copies of reports, which took weeks to review. “Now reports are submitted and reviewed digitally within a day,” he added. The new system allows real-time tracking of applications and has reduced human interaction, a change aimed at minimising delays and sealing revenue loopholes.
The licensing portal is linked to Nema’s Geographic Information System laboratory, set up in 2022, which maps all 2,324 regulated facilities across the country.
Facilities are categorised based on risk levels and assigned geographic coordinates to enhance monitoring. Inspectors now use a mobile application to access compliance data instantly, improving enforcement and supporting revenue collection.
Boru said revenue has grown from Sh235 million in 2019, when Nema was technically insolvent, to Sh1.2 billion currently.
At that time, the agency had accumulated losses of Sh78.3 million and a negative working capital of Sh212.9 million.