NMS identifies 1000 illegal garbage dumping sites for closure

Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has identified 1,000 more illegal dumpsites in Nairobi for closure, as it steps up its fight to rid the capital city of garbage.

This as the Major General Mohamed Badi-led administration said it has designated 35 new garbage collection points, which will soon be made public, across the city to help in making Nairobi a garbage-free zone.

The proliferation of illegal dumping sites in Nairobi has been blamed for frustrating the fight against solid waste in the capital.

NMS Deputy Director-General Kang’ethe Thuku said the illegal dumping sites were unearthed in the past two months.

He pointed out that NMS last year identified 110 such garbage dumpsites following a directive by President Uhuru Kenyatta for NMS to crack down on all illegal dumpsites in Nairobi as well as reinforce discharge of effluent into rivers by firms in the capital.

“Some 73 dumpsites have been cleared and closed, preventing further illegal disposal of garbage. NMS is still working on the rest of the remaining areas where garbage had accumulated,” said Mr Thuku.

Enhance garbage collection

As part of the plans to enhance garbage collection in Nairobi which is still choking with mounds of garbage, the DDG said the Environment department has engaged new casuals to help in the collection of garbage.

The casuals, dressed in red overalls with NMS logo, have been strategically placed across the central business district and its environs sweeping and collecting garbage from the streets and other areas which have over the past few weeks been covered with uncollected garbage.

Last month, NMS Directorate of Environment announced it was contracting additional casual labourers in a bid to improve the deplorable state of the capital.  

The casual labourers were to undertake manual jobs aimed at enhancing aesthetic value across four regions in Nairobi including Starehe, Kamkunji, Mathare and Makadara sub-Counties in the Southern region while Dagoretti North and South, Kibra and Langata sub-Counties forming the Northern region.

Embakasi North, Central, East, West, and South are part of the Eastern region while Westlands, Ruaraka, Kasarani, and Roysambu will be part of the Western region.

Mr Thuku added that they have collaborated with the National Youth Service in order to increase daily collection and disposal of solid waste.

Increased garbage collection 

Currently, he said, NMS is able to collect a total of 2,500 tonnes of garbage daily, up from 1,800 as was done by Nairobi County government.

“Since the establishment of NMS last year in March, we have increased daily solid waste collection from an average of 1,800 tonnes to 2,500. Our aim is, however, to increase the average daily waste collection to 3,000 tonnes by roping in casual labourers to boost the collection,” he said.

Additionally, the deputy director-general pointed out that they have engaged solid waste contractors who are assisting in garbage collections in the various city estates as well as increasing the number of garbage collection trucks to 205.

The contractors were expected to pick garbage at gazetted points across the 85 wards with the number of collection points depending on population size, hence the amount of garbage.

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