Nairobi: All matatu parking licenses have been revoked by the Nairobi County Government following numerous complaints from the business community on the unruliness of the public service vehicles (PSVs).
Business owners in the city centre had threatened not to pay rates to the county government citing that it had failed to control the rogue matatus that blocked business entrances and piles of uncollected garbage that provided for an unconducive working environment.
Speaking during the swearing in of the new County Executive Committee member for Environment, Water and Natural Resources Peter Maranga, Governor Evans Kidero said that the matatu operators were contravening the city by-laws by parking anywhere and haphazardly.
"There is complete indiscipline in the way the matatu's are being managed in the city and we have cancelled all the parking permits with immediate effect and we will be redoing the licensing process afresh. The business people are totally right and I stand with them in ensuring that matatus don't hinder business activities in the city," said Kidero.
Garbage collection
Newly sworn in Environment CEC Peter Mangara acknowledged that he had been handed over a challenging docket ,and said that his first move would be to ensure the garbage menace was addressed by zoning of garbage collection at the sub-county level.
"We are going to look at tracts of land owned by the county government in the sub counties so that garbage is collected from that level. It will mostly involve the youth and the women and we will also be encouraging separation of waste for instance plastic from biodegradable waste at source to ensure effectiveness in recycling," said Mangara.
The CEC however decried allegations that zoning of waste management was meant to get rid of the private contractors, saying that he would be discussing with them on the way forward as stakeholders.
"There have been reports of contractors sabotaging the garbage collection and I will be reviewing the performance of each and every one then decide on what action to take. If they are not performing they will move out," asserted Mangara.
The Environment docket has seen two other executives sacked over incompetence, 1094 days since the institution of the county governments.
According to the newly appointed Environment CEC who's been working in the public service for 25 years, Nairobi generates 2400 tonnes of waste with every Nairobian accounting for half a kilogram of waste daily. Additionally, Nairobi uses 600,000 cubic metre of water daily with 40 percent lost through wastage.
By the year 2030, the county targets to consume 1.2million cubic metres of water to address shortage.
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