Relief for Mukuru Kayaba residents as NMS clears garbage

Mukuru Kayaba

A truck belonging to NMS collects garbage at Mukuru Kayaba following an uproar by residents who complained of the stench emanating from the dump site. The garbage had remained uncollected for over two weeks.

Photo credit: Sammy Kimatu | Nation Media Group

A mound of garbage that had piled up in one of Nairobi’s South B slums, and which was an eyesore for residents for several weeks, has finally been removed.

Earlier, residents of Mukuru Kayaba in Landi Mawe, Starehe Sub-County, had complained to administrators about the stench from the garbage and flies invading food stalls.

The dump site lies near the Kayaba matatu stage, opposite Enterprise Road in Industrial Area.

Boda riders, motorists and passengers using Enterprise Road had also complained about the garbage.

“Frankly speaking, the garbage had been lying uncollected for several weeks this time. Flies were invading food kiosks around here and some of the garbage spilled and blocked part of Enterprise Road,” Mr Onesmus Kalei, a member of the Nyumba Kumi committee in Kayaba, told the Nation.

Chief takes action

Senior Chief Mulandi Kikuvi said residents had lodged a report in his office about the garbage, prompting him to take action immediately.

Over the weekend, a bulldozer and trucks from Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) were busy at the dumping site collecting the garbage.

The Kayaba stage dump site is used for disposing of waste by residents of Kayaba and Maasai slums and the neighbouring Hazina slum.

Allocated dumping site

The Nairobi County government allocated the site to residents for dumping waste.

Under an agreement, county trucks would collect and take the garbage to the Dandora dump site.

Landi Mawe MCA Herman Azangu said that before the dump site was set up, residents were dumping garbage in the Ngong River.

“Since the slum dwellers did not have a particular place to dump garbage, they polluted Ngong River. As leaders, we identified the Kaiyaba stage to be a dump site where city county lorries will collect and take it to the Dandora dumpsite,” he said.

Chief Kikuvi has urged Mukuru residents not to dump waste on roads.

“It is the responsibility of each and every one of us to observe cleanliness. Therefore, do not dump waste on the roadside,” he said.