Ruto declares war on garbage cartels in Nairobi

President William Ruto has announced a sweeping plan to overhaul garbage management in Nairobi, declaring that waste collection will no longer be controlled by cartels but handled through a collective effort involving government agencies and city residents. Speaking during a church service in Gikomba, Nairobi, the President said the capital’s cleanliness had for years been held hostage by powerful interests that thrived on disorder, undermining efforts to keep the city clean and habitable. Nairobi has many challenges and we cannot claim to be developing other towns and leave Nairobi behind,” Ruto said. “Since we have many cartels in garbage collection, we have decided that we will collaborate with the national government, the county government and the residents of Nairobi to solve the problem beginning April 1.” The President said the new approach would be anchored on a comprehensive, long-term waste management plan rather than short-term interventions that have failed in the past. He stressed that cleaning the city would require a whole-of-society effort. “We have to join hands to solve the problem collectively. We will have a consistent, comprehensive, long-term plan for managing the city’s waste. This is going to take a whole-society endeavour,” he said. Ruto noted that Nairobi, which hosts the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) headquarters, must lead by example in environmental conservation. “Nairobi is a capital city and home to matters of the environment in the world. We must lead from the front and show that we are environmentally aligned,” he added. As part of the clean-up programme, the President said the government was making progress in rehabilitating rivers and sewerage systems within the city. According to him, about 40 per cent of river clean-up works have already been completed, with full sewerage expansion expected by January next year. “We need to clean the rivers and the city. By January next year, we will be done with all sewerage and river expansion to ensure Nairobi is habitable,” Ruto said. Beyond waste management, the President highlighted massive urban renewal projects underway in the capital, including the construction of 123,000 affordable housing units. He said the initiative, backed by Sh250 billion in government funding, aims to transition residents from informal settlements into planned estates and home ownership. “No one will be removed by force. We will use humane means to relocate residents and move them back to occupy the houses as homeowners paying mortgages,” he said. Ruto also announced plans to restore order and dignity in urban trading spaces through the construction of 17 new markets across Nairobi.

At the centre of his Gikomba visit was a promise to resolve long-standing ownership disputes at the country’s largest open-air market. “The leaders of Gikomba, led by Samson Wanjohi, and I have agreed that this market belongs to all Kenyans who sell their wares here. It is a gateway to the country’s trade,” he said. To address land grabbing threats, the President pledged to issue a title deed for Gikomba Market within 90 days. “I will prepare a title deed in the name of Gikomba Market so that you take care of it on behalf of the traders,” he said. He further revealed that Sh1 billion has been secured for the expansion and modernization of the market, with construction expected to take nine months. Ruto said he would return in March or April to officially inaugurate the new facility, which will accommodate traders currently operating along roads.