Governor Ole Lenku deploys special unit to apprehend waste offenders

Kajiado Governor Joseph Ole Lenku when he launched the special unit. [Peterson Githaiga, Standard]

Residents and traders who litter urban centres in Kajiado will have to watch out after Governor Joseph Ole Lenku formed and deployed a special unit to apprehend littering offenders.

The Governor commissioned the Mazingira Unit with 300 officers in Ngong  Municipality on Friday and declared that the Unit will be responsible for cleaning up the towns and maintaining high standards of public health.

The multi-sectoral Unit is made up of officers from the Departments of Environment, Inspectorate Services and Public Health.

"This unit will for now be domiciled at the Department of Environment. We have deployed them to deal with waste disposal and management in our towns. There are also those who have formed the habit of releasing liquid waste from buildings to public places. Let them know this unit is on the lookout for them," said Governor Lenku

He said the County Government will construct or convert some of its buildings into cells to hold offenders before they are arraigned to answer to charges," added the Governor.

"We are determined to make our trading hubs have a conducive environment for business. Sanitary conditions have been worsened by unprecedented population increases in our urban centres. We are building smart towns that are habitable so that they can attract more investors," said the Governor.

The commissioning of the Unit was also attended by Senator Samuel Seki, Kajiado North MP Onesmus Ngogoyo and a horde of MCA led by Majority Leader John Loisa.

The leaders praised the move and said they would support the initiative as waste management had become a thorn in the health of the residents.

Mr Ngogoyo welcomed the new initiative and said he would support the County Government. " This is a welcome initiative. We want to see our drainage systems unclogged heaps of garbage collected in our markets. It is our responsibility to maintain our environment, " said Ngogoyo.

The formation of the Unit is part of the implementation of his vision of "Livable Towns" as espoused in the Governor's four-pronged Vision between 2022-2027.

The others are Modulated Pastoralism, Climate proofed Physical Environment and Equitable access to quality education.

The immediate duty of the unit is to unclog drainage systems in towns ahead of the anticipated El Nino rains.

Next week the Governor will lead the team together with other partners to unclog drainage systems sling the Nairobi- Namanga Highway starting at Milimani in Kitengela.