The governor said his government has so far deployed 40 trucks to undertake the ferrying of garbage to the relevant dumping site, the trucks will be stationed at designated sites to be communicated soon to the public in all the 30 wards in Mombasa.
By Geoffrey Onyango in Mombasa
The County government of Mombasa has issued a seven-day notice to people who operate illegal dumping sites to clear up those sites in a bid to restore the city’s lost glory. It’s now official that dumping within Mombasa County could land you in civil jail as the new administration orders the closure of illegal sites with immediate effect.
Issuing the orders, Mombasa Governor Abdulswamad Nassir said he was compelled to close down the landfills after it emerged that they were being misused from transfer sites to garbage dumping sites. “We have also suspended all charges on trucks, tuk tuks and handcarts taking garbage to Mwakirunge dumpsite and all the remaining transfer points that have made residents litter everywhere.
Let it not be a reason to make the city dirty,” said Nassir. The governor said that henceforth, transfers will be done directly to trucks, adding that his government will be issuing substantive measures to the public on how garbage will be handled.
Meanwhile, the governor said his government has so far deployed 40 trucks to undertake the ferrying of garbage to the relevant dumping site. “The trucks will be stationed at designated sites to be communicated soon to the public in all the 30 wards in Mombasa. We shall also deploy anti-dumping officers in all the closed landfills to arrest those who break the law,” he said
According to the Assessment Report conducted by UN-Habitat in 2019 in conjunction with the county government, Mombasa produces about 1,000 tons of solid waste daily with the government only managing to collect 60 per cent of it. The remaining 40 per cent is dumped on the streets and the illegal dumpsites with some ending up in the ocean, even blocking manholes for the storm water.
“We have the capacity as a county but we have been overwhelmed because of the garbage backlog, we are gradually closing the transfer sites so that we can manage the situation,” Deputy Governor Francis Thoya
Nine per cent of the waste comprises plastic according to the report whereby only half of it is processed through recycling. Deputy Governor Thoya urged residents to help the county deal with the garbage menace. Mr Thoya, who is now in charge of the program to clean up the city and the county in general within the next 100 days, said he will not relent in his work, promising to take stern action against county officials found trying to compromise the works.
“We have the capacity as a county but we have been overwhelmed because of the garbage backlog, we are gradually closing the transfer sites so that we can manage the situation,” said Thoya. He however stated that the county will continue engaging in public participation to ensure that they are fully aware of the new changes.
“We expect order in all the transfer points, there will be no more excuses or reasons, and all those involved will be sensitized to the ongoing changes so that they don’t find themselves on the wrong side of the law. We have to achieve our agenda for a cleaner Mombasa, this change must be felt within the next 100 days” he said. The governor also said that the county shall undertake an audit to ensure that all buildings have a bio digester to treat their sewage before being released into the ocean.
