Waiguru boosts waste management in towns with 26 garbage skips and truck
County Government of Kirinyaga has distributed an additional 26 garbage skips and a new skip loading truck to boost waste management in towns and trading centres.
The open skips which allows easier loading of waste materials have been placed in towns that previously had none and thosewith busy markets.
While launching the enhanced solid waste management initiative, Governor Anne Waiguru said the skips will help improve sanitation in markets and trading centres across the county.
She said proper waste collection will be key to the success of Material Recovery Facility being set up at Kutus to enhance waste sorting and recycling, reducing environmental pollution and creating new job opportunities.
The Governor said her administration is at the forefront of embracing climate resilient programmes that aims at mitigating effects of climate change.
The initiative is part of the County’s broader climate action plan under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Program, aimed at enhancing environmental sustainability and community wellbeing.
“These will improve our cleanliness especially in markets and trading centers. We are working on a material recovery facility, and these skips are a step closer to realizing this dream,” she added.
By last year, a total of 44 skips have been acquired and placed in urban centers to help in collection of garbage.
Waiguru said rising population, expansion of towns, increased number of businesses mainly being driven by a vibrant agriculture economy, had resulted into increased residential and commercial waste in urban centres that requires a proper disposal system.
Residents and traders in various markets welcomed the initiative saying it will help keep the urban centres clean thus improving business environment.
Faith Ngonyo, a trader at Kimbimbi market, cited long-standing challenges with open dumping, overflowing waste and foul smells that have affected their business operations.
She said with the enhanced waste management, the towns will become cleaner and with the placement of more garbage skips, members of the public have no reason to litter the streets.
Pauline John, another trader, expressed relief saying due to the increased population in the area, the few garbage skips in the town were not adequate to handle the waste.
“Garbage has been dumped here for a while and due to wind, it could sometimes be blown away and left littering the entire area. Also with the miraa waste being dumped here, the smell would get very foul,” she said.
John Kiura, a resident, said the distribution of additional skips at the town will help keep the area clean and free from diseases.
“These new skip will help keep our market clean, because our market is normally very busy, garbage tends to heap up quickly, leaving an eyesore. We are happy the county is taking further steps to maintain cleanliness,” Kiura said.
At Piai, Albert Mbogo, a second-hand clothes trader, overflowing of uncollected waste has been a big headache to traders and residents.
“As a member of this town’s business community, the garbage has been a major hindrance for me as my stall is right next to it. It would deter many of my potential customers and I have often had to spend from my own pocket to hire people to move the waste,” he said.
He thanked the county government for addressing the garbage management issue in the town saying it was long overdue.
“I thank Governor Waiguru for this initiative. Now I won’t have to incur extra costs just to keep my business space clean,” he added.
