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Garbage crisis: Nanyuki town chokes from filth as county fails to manage waste collection
Garbage piles at the main bus terminus in Nanyuki town.
In November 2023, Nanyuki Town in Laikipia County was gazetted as a municipality, raising hopes for improved service delivery and infrastructure development.
However, two years later, the municipality is still largely dysfunctional and unable to carry out most of the 17 functions that were supposed to be transferred from various county departments.
These functions include the improvement of urban roads, the construction and maintenance of public transport hubs, the mapping of road reserves, the installation of street lights and the management of solid waste.
One of the worst affected areas is solid waste management, with numerous complaints this year about the failure to collect garbage. The tourist town, which was once well-maintained and clean, has turned into an eyesore, with rubbish remaining uncollected for up to three weeks.
With a population of over 70,000 according to the 2019 census, the town generates 20,000 tonnes of waste each month, equivalent to around 650 tonnes per day. The municipality has three trucks, which, under normal circumstances, visit estates three times a week.
However, this has not happened since late last month, and garbage heaps now dot every corner of the town, from the main bus terminus to the open-air market and the entrances to residential areas.
“We are unable to operate our businesses and customers are running away, unable to withstand the stench from the nearby garbage heap. This is something we have not experienced in the recent past,” said Steve Kimathi, a shoe shiner at the main bus stage.
“I have not opened my café for three days now and I am not sure if I will be back in business soon with no signs of this litter being collected. Who will pay me for the business loss? When we complain we are told the garbage trucks have no fuel yet we pay licences on time,” said Ms Edith Kagwiria, who operates a food café near the bus stage.
Environmentalist John Maigua has called on the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) to intervene, as public health service officers employed by the county government have ignored the health hazard.
“We have issued a four-day notice to the relevant authorities to restore the town to its former status. If they fail to act, we shall collect the garbage and dump it at the governor’s office,” Mr Maigua told the Nation on Monday.
Senior county government officials from the various departments have declined to take responsibility, instead passing the buck to the municipality management.
“The issue of solid waste management is now under the Nanyuki Municipality,” said Mr Stephen Lapian, Chief Officer at the Department of Environment.
“The eight-member municipal management board has not done much towards meeting the expectations of the residents, apart from attending several meetings with Governor Joshua Irungu to assess preparedness and compliance on utilisation of funds under the World Bank’s Kenya Urban Support Programme (KUSP II),” Mr Maigua said.
The municipality board chairman, Abdi Sora, and the manager, Anthony Rukwaro, admit that they have not taken full charge of the functions set out in the law, but they are unwilling to blame anyone, saying that the process is on course — two years after the municipality was officially unveiled.
Since May this year, Mr Rukwaro has admitted that his office is facing challenges in solid waste management due to an inadequate number of garbage trucks, a lack of sufficient fuel, and the dumpsite being inaccessible during the rainy season.
“It is true that we have not collected litter within the municipality. The road leading to the dumpsite is inaccessible due to the current heavy rains but we shall look for a solution,” said Mr Rukwaro.
When contacted for a comment, the Director of Communications at the Governor’s Office, Mr John Wambugu, did not address the issue of the delayed transfer of functions. However, he did admit that the county was facing a solid waste management crisis, which he attributed to a rise in population.
“Nanyuki has in recent years witnessed a rapid rise in population. While this growth represents progress and opportunities, it has also placed increasing pressure on existing systems, which were designed for a much smaller population,” he said in a press statement.
The official said that the main dumpsite has become difficult to access during the rainy season due to poor road conditions, but added that the county was looking forward to finding a solution through a public-private partnership.
“Central to this plan is the promotion of a circular economy, which encourages the reduction, reuse and recycling of waste,” he said.
