Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has announced that all households in Kenya are set to receive three colour-coded bags to store garbage products as part of the waste management strategy.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, November 13, CS Duale disclosed that all waste collection trucks would also receive the three coloured bags; a green bag for organic waste, a blue bag for dry recyclables and a red carrier for hazardous items.
In the new directive, the environment minister further added that the trucks would be required to transport the garbage in the three above-mentioned bags to a Material Recovery Facility (MRF).
According to the CS, the Material Recovery Facility has two main chambers, the first chamber is for sorting wet while the second chamber is used to sort dry waste. Meanwhile, the hazardous red-bagged waste would not be sorted but rather disposed of for incineration.
While making the announcement, Duale revealed that waste trucks would be mandated to carry National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA)-issued tracking documents and follow designated routes to a disposal site to ensure traceability.
To curb industrial pollution, the former defence minister revealed that NEMA had already identified 145 facilities along the Nairobi River basin that were found culpable of releasing untreated industrial waste due to malfunctioning Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP).
The CS reiterated that the new policies were aimed at shifting from a linear economy of "use and disposal" to a circular economy where waste is viewed as a resource.
"By recycling and reusing materials, Kenya seeks to transform waste into wealth, driving sustainable development. Waste from informal settlements, which is primarily organic and is less than 1 per cent industrial, can be managed sustainably using bio-digesters," Duale noted.
Emphasising the need for environmental conservation, the CS explained that over the years, informal settlements have been blamed for polluting the rivers in Nairobi due to their proximity. However, details have emerged that informal settlements only contribute one per cent to the pollution of the Rivers.
He noted that the major contributors of garbage in the Nairobi River were the 145 industries including slaughterhouses and sewerage systems and the real estate without functioning ETPs. According to him, the 145 industries contribute 90 per cent of the pollution of the river.
"NEMA has mapped out all these non-compliant facilities, given them restoration orders and all are candidates for closure until they fully comply," CS Duale stated.
"Anybody who is doing the imperil, despite his status, along the Nairobi River will be a victim. Because of the climate change and flooding, 42 people died in Nairobi," the CS added.
