The Nairobi County Government has launched a crackdown on Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and Private Service Providers (PSPs) accused of dumping waste at illegal sites.
In a statement on Tuesday, August 26, Nairobi County Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria said the county would revoke licenses of the offenders and take immediate legal action.
He explained that upon prosecution, offenders risk a fine not exceeding Ksh200,000 or imprisonment of up to two years, in line with the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act, 2015.
"Any individual or entity found dumping illegally, whether a Community-Based Organization (CBO) or a Private Service Provider (PSP), will have their license revoked and will face prosecution in accordance with the law," Mosiria stated.
"This is guided by the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act, 2015, which prohibits illegal dumping and prescribes penalties for offenders," he added.
According to Mosiria, despite the county government shutting down some dumping sites, which were deemed unfit, some CBOs and PSPs are still dumping their waste in the site, which has, in turn, compromised the health and well-being of those living near the sites.
"Once we close an illegal dumping site, all private service providers in waste collection and transport must immediately stop using it. We have resumed operations targeting those who continue dumping at such sites," Mosiria said.
The announcement comes just two days after Mosiria announced that his department had kick-started a major crackdown on hotels and other businesses in the Central Business District (CBD) over improper waste disposal.
In a statement on Monday, August 25, Mosira noted that despite the establishments generating large amounts of waste, some have not yet engineered proper waste management systems, which poses health risks.
According to Mosiria, some hotels have developed a habit of dumping sacks of garbage along road reserves and walkways, worsening the city’s untidiness.
“I will be leading an operation in the Central Business District to inspect all hotels and other establishments that generate waste, focusing on how they manage and dispose of it,” Mosiria said.
He added, “Currently, if you walk through the CBD, you will find sacks of garbage dumped along road reserves and walkways, contributing to the untidiness of our city.”
