Nakuru County set to recycle garbage from main markets

Animals scavenge at on overflowing garbage site at Njoro Market in Nakuru. The county government now plans to recycle garbage from the main produce markets. PHOTO | SULEIMAN MABTIAH | NATION MEDIA GROUP

What you need to know:

  • There are plans to establish seven temporary garbage collection fields from where the garbage will be sorted out for recycling.
  • For more than 50 years now, the filthy Gioto dump-site has been a health concern to Nakuru residents and the business community.
  • Mr Muriithi said the county government is ready to cooperate with any investor committed to rehabilitate the dump-site which has been in existence since the colonial era.
  • In the current financial year, Mr Kiogora’s department has been allocated Sh367 million to cater for the expansion of infrastructure and remuneration of workers.

Stinking garbage heaps are an eye-sore in most produce markets in Nakuru County creating unbearable conditions for trading.

Occasionally, traders have protested over uncollected garbage in Nakuru, Njoro and Molo main markets.

However, the situation is set to change after the County government establishes seven temporary garbage collection fields from where the garbage will be sorted out for recycling.

These transfer fields will be established in Njoro, Mau Narok, Salgaa, Molo, Gilgil, Subukia and Bahati by June 2016.

“Instead of carrying the garbage to the main Gioto dumpsite in Nakuru, it will be deposited in the transfer stations and sorted out for recycling,” said Director of Environment, Natural Resources and Energy Kiogora Muriithi.

REDUCE TRANSPORT COSTS

Mr Muriithi said the move will ensure the garbage is sorted out at the source thereby reducing the cost of transporting it to Gioto while at the same time ensuring a cleaner environment.

For more than 50 years now, the filthy Gioto dump-site has been a health concern to Nakuru residents and the business community.

Efforts to rehabilitate or relocate it have hit a snag due to lack of investors who would be willing to put their capital in the project.

Mr Muriithi said the county government is ready to cooperate with any investor committed to rehabilitate the dump-site which has been in existence since the colonial era.

He said having the sites within the proximity of the market centres would facilitate sorting out of the garbage and recycling it, thereby reducing the amount of deposits left on the surface.

“We will be encouraging residents to engage in recycling of the rubbish as a means of raising income,” he said.

In the current financial year, Mr Kiogora’s department has been allocated Sh367 million to cater for the expansion of infrastructure and remuneration of workers.