NAIROBI, Kenya Feb 9 Nairobi County on Sunday night launched its first large-scale coordinated clean-up exercise, signaling the start of an intensified push to modernise waste collection and disposal across the capital.
Maureen Njeri, the County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Green Nairobi, said the initiative goes beyond the routine daily clean-ups carried out by the county's more than 4,000-strong "Green Army," marking the beginning of a broader transformation in how the city handles waste.
"Today we are conducting our first major clean-up in addition to the usual daily exercises we undertake in a coordinated manner with our Green Army. This marks the beginning of a journey to focus more on cleaning and disposal," Njeri said.
"In the coming weeks, we are upscaling our waste-management systems and solutions by integrating a coordinated collection system that will also make better use of the over three tonnes of garbage collected daily. In partnership with the national government, we expect to repurpose this waste into useful products such as fertiliser and power."
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Nairobi Central MCA Mwaniki Kwenya emphasised the importance of public participation, noting that sustainable cleanliness requires collective effort from residents and businesses alike.
"Our main agenda today is to sensitise the public that cleanliness is a shared responsibility. We must all play our part by keeping our workspaces and walkways clean and disposing of waste properly," he said.
The clean-up campaign comes a day after President William Ruto and Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja announced that the tender for the city's integrated garbage management programme had been finalised, with implementation set to begin on April 1.
According to the President, the new integrated system will be introduced in phases, with full-scale production of fertiliser and electricity expected to commence next year once the contracted company completes operational arrangements.
Governor Sakaja said the new plan was developed jointly with the national government to address Nairobi's mounting waste challenge, particularly in busy markets where garbage often accumulates within hours.
"We have worked with the President and figured out how to deal with garbage in Nairobi. Every day the city produces huge amounts of waste, and in markets you can see garbage piling up after just a few hours. We have now awarded a tender, and in a few weeks we will be ready to roll out a well-coordinated system to ensure garbage is collected efficiently and transported to Dandora," the Governor said.
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The initiativeis expected to form part of a long-term strategy to transform Nairobi's waste from an environmental burden into an economic and energy resource while improving overall urban cleanliness
