Save us from the smell of aborted fetuses, Pipeline residents urge county government

Residents of Pipeline estate in Embakasi have accused Nairobi City County government of failing to address the waste menace in the estate. Led by Florence Mwende, a shopkeeper, locals claimed some of the open places and unfinished buildings have been used to dump aborted foetuses, forcing them to contend with the stench from the sites.

“Our businesses are affected as customers no longer buy goods here because the rubbish continues to pile, producing a very bad smell. No one is talking about it,” she said.

They urged the county government to move with speed to avert a disease outbreak in the area.

“These sites are mushrooming on a daily basis, yet we pay rates. County officials only come to collect cash from us and have never bothered to address the problem,” said Catherin Akinyi, who operates a salon in the area.

Cases of dumping in Nairobi’s residential areas are on the rise as the county government steps up efforts to find a lasting solution to the problem. Plans are underway to divide the city into zones and assign contractors respective zones to collect garbage. The governor has indicated that his government has found it difficult to deal with waste generated by Nairobians. The city generates 2,400 tonnes of waste daily.