KENYA: Nairobi County will now be forced to outsource garbage collection services from the national government.
Over 150 trucks and 1,000 youth from the National Youth Service (NYS) are set to help the county in its radical clean-up programme. NYS will provide 40 of these trucks.
The county has already recalled workers on leave for the exercise. More so, youth from specific settlements in the city will be recruited to help the county in the clean-up exercise.
Recruiting of area residents is also meant to get rid of cartels who are said to be manning the dumping sites by charging truckers for dumping at the designated areas.
"Youth will also be recruited from the designated settlements to help in collection of garbage in their areas with supervision from the police and NYS. No cartel will be allowed at the dumping site as the police order will be shoot to kill," said Environment County Executive Committee Member Evans Ondieki.
Ondieki said the plan is to strengthen their unit of workforce which has been seen as inefficient in maintaining cleanliness in the city.
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This has led to an outcry from traders and residents who lamented that the county has abrogated its responsibility despite continuing to charge them fee for garbage collection.
Wakulima market chairman Syrus Githaiga complained that the county has become ineffective that they would not work without pressure. "This is a market that deals with perishables yet it takes over a month before they show up."
Githaiga noted that the situation has worsened during the El- Nino rains as the market has become dampened with heavy stench an environment that is a health hazard apart from keeping trades away.
He however said lack of enough trucks is the biggest challenge with many estates now being turned into dumping sites to avoid charges by cartels.
Mukuru Phase four and California Estate in Eastleigh are some of the areas. The county levies charges of Sh2, 000 per month for garbage collection with a fine of up to Sh30, 000 if it is not paid.
