Since coming into office in March, the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has reportedly cleared garbage from 82 illegal dumpsites across the county.
This is according to NMS Director-General Mohammed Badi who noted that at the beginning of his tenure, his administration identified 110 illegal dumping areas.
He said 82 have been cleared of solid waste and enforcement for their closure is currently ongoing.
“I wish to report that NMS identified 110 illegal dumping areas and were mapped out and 82 of this have been cleared of accumulation of waste and enforcement for closure is ongoing,” said the NMS DG.
NMS is also in the process of designating 35 official solid waste collection points for use by solid waste collectors in Nairobi.
Major General Badi said his administration has put in place an effective garbage collection and disposal method where more than 70 percent of garbage backlog in Nairobi has been cleared.
NYS Aiming to Collect all the Garbage in Nairobi CBD By Friday
This has been achieved in conjunction with the National Youth Service (NYS), improving garbage collection from initial 1,000 tonnes per day to an average of 2,500 tonnes daily across the 85 wards in the county.
“The NYS has played a critical role in this endeavour. Over 70 percent of garbage backlog has been cleared and the City is slowly regaining its glory as garbage heaps are diminishing every day,” said Badi.
At the same time, NMS has mapped out 122 illegal discharge points and action has been taken on 102 effluent discharge points from industries and restaurants into rivers.
Before NMS, City Hall had only 10 functional garbage trucks out of the 60 but 32 have since been repaired and other grounded garbage equipment reactivated.
Further, DG Badi said they have repossessed three public lands earmarked for the management of solid and liquid waste. These include Ruai, earmarked for water and sewerage expansion projects and sanitary landfills, Kariobangi and Karen point for wastewater treatment.
