The Nairobi County Government is set to kickstart a crackdown this week on Eastleigh and Pipeline tenants, landlords, and caretakers who condone poor waste management within their premises.
In a statement on his official X account on Sunday, July 20, Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer Geoffrey Mosiria announced that the crackdown will target individuals who fail to pay or utilise waste management services for waste disposal.
According to Mosiria, the reluctance of these individuals to pay for waste management services has eroded the county government's ability to provide waste management services and also pay private contractors who assist the county government in managing waste across the county.
"The responsibility of the county government is to clean the main corridors and to ensure that the roads and the city in general are clean. But it is your responsibility to ensure that all the waste that you generate in the house is taken to the Dandora dumping site, which is the final disposal point," Mosiria said.
"If they don't pay for these services, how do you expect us to provide them because we need to repair and service our vehicles, and still pay people who are responsible for the services," he added.
According to Mosiria, tenants and landlords from these estates who are found to be responsible for illegal dumping will also be required to use their own money to clean their premises and transport the waste to the designated dumping spots.
The crackdown on these comes at a time when there is growing frustration over the state of sanitation at these estates, which are some of Nairobi’s most densely populated estates.
According to Mosiria, the illegal dumping of waste in these estates has not only created an unsightly environment but also put the health and safety of other residents at risk. It is the responsibility of a tenant to ensure that 10 metres of the surroundings are kept clean according to Mosiria.
"But there are some estates where you find that the landlord and the tenants don't pay for waste management services, they just throw it anywhere. When you go to the pipeline, all the roads are filled with waste, and this week we are going to apprehend the tenants, landlords, and caretakers for this," Mosiria said.
"This week I'm starting with Pipeline and I will go after everyone there, and after that I will go to Eastleigh, because people are saying that these are some of the dirtiest estates in the city," he added.
Mosiria, who has in the recent months been at the vanguard of advocating against illegal waste dumping in the city, assured that his department will continue with crackdowns, despite resistance from residents and other stakeholders.
On Wednesday, July 16, speaking after conducting an impromptu visit to a section of the estate, Mosiria had announced plans to arrest culprits who fail to comply with waste management laws; however, he had not mentioned when this operation would kickstart.
The announcement comes days after the county government on Monday, July 15, announced that it has also launched a crackdown on Nairobi residents who fail to utilize designated waste bin points, especially at the Central Business District (CBD)
