Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced a major crackdown on plastic bags to protect the environment from pollution.
Speaking during Labour Day celebrations, Sakaja blamed plastic bags and bottles for clogged drainage systems leading to flooding in the city.
Sakaja regretted that the polythene bags have returned, threatening to reverse the environmental protection gains made following the ban effected four years ago.
“A lot of roads and drainages are flooded because of dumping of plastic bags and bottles, we will not allow this as we have to keep our city clean,” said Sakaja.
He said in a weeks’ time, the county government will undertake an operation within the city to ensure that the plastic bags and bottles that have been banned are no longer in the market and supermarkets.
“Plastic paper bags were banned, but they have come back. In a week, we are going to go into another operation to make sure that plastic paper bags are no longer in our markets because they are the ones that are clogging our drainage” he said.
The governor noted that Nairobi is the environment capital of the world, hosting the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and would not allow the banned plastics to be used in the city.
Sakaja also announced that his administration is working with Kenya National Highways Authority and Kenya Urban Roads Authority to finish the uncompleted work at the Nairobi Expressway.
He said a contractor has already been sourced to undertake the works at Uhuru highway.
Sakaja also requested the President to intervene on the private security wages which he lamented were underpaid regardless of the government’s pronouncement every year during labour day that the minimum wage be above Sh13,000.
He said it is sad that the private security workers numbering 450,000 countrywide and in Nairobi County 250,000 are only paid between Sh4,000 to Sh5,000 when people are grappling with economic challenges.
“Others sufferings are the drivers of Bolt, Uber and Taxify because of competition,” said Sakaja, adding that 90 percent of the accidents caused by the drivers could be as a result of driving for 22 hours a day to make money.
The Governor disclosed that his government has already done regulations on transport touching on the digital companies and urged AA of Kenya and the Communication Authority to gazette the regulations so that the drivers can get something.He added that the County government has already designated picking and dropping of passengers by drivers.
Governor Sakaja further stated that his government managed to increase the county’s revenue collection by Sh 673 million from January to March 2023 compared to the same period last year.
Sakaja who attributed the increase in revenue collection to the hard work and commitment by employees said in April 2023 the county also managed to collect Sh800 million, terming it the highest monthly amount ever collected since the start of devolution.
He announced that the county government will towards the end of this week employ 3500 workers in the cleaning section.
