Nairobi County officials have arrested one landlord in the ongoing crackdown against illegal dumping in Eastleigh. The arrest comes as the county issues new orders to all landlords in Kamukunji Sub-county.
The landlord was arrested on Wednesday during an operation that followed reports from another landlord.
Nairobi City County Chief Officer for Environment, Geoffrey Mosiria, revealed that the landlord was apprehended after visiting the site and witnessing illegal waste allegedly dumped on top of the roof of the apartment housing.
According to the complaint, the neighbour was accused of dumping garbage from the top of a storey building onto the rooftop and compound of the complainant.
The complaining landlord said the waste thrown onto his roof included human waste, children’s diapers, sanitary pads, and even bottles filled with urine.
Videos released during the operation showed heaps of waste atop a building, and while filming from the adjacent building, Mosiria confronted the landlord, who denied the claims.
“I arrested the neighbour, and appropriate legal action will be taken against them to ensure accountability and to guarantee that the two neighbours can coexist in a clean and safe environment,” Mosiria said in a statement.
Following the raid, the landlord was arrested and offered a cash bail, with an agreement to pay for repairs and removal of the waste.
At the same time, the county has vowed to make evictions of businesses operating in illegal areas, including walkways, drainage systems and roadways in Eastleigh.
“We cannot allow a few individuals in Eastleigh to conduct business in the wrong places at the expense of public order and safety,” Mosiria stated.
Adding, “Hawkers are now operating on the actual road, blocking access to the extent that residents cannot even receive emergency services – ambulances and fire engines are unable to reach patients or respond to emergencies along Jam Street because of hawkers and private cars obstructing the way.”
To end this trend, Mosiria has ordered all traders and hawkers operating along roadways to vacate immediately and be arrested. The county also ordered all shop owners who have extended their products onto road reserves to remove them or face the same fate.
Mosiria has ordered all landlords in Kamukunji Sub-county to provide adequate waste receptacles on their premises, ensuring they are regularly serviced, and they must subscribe to licensed waste management service providers for proper collection and disposal of waste.
Additionally, they are instructed to maintain cleanliness within a 10-metre radius of their properties and to remove any illegal structures that may obstruct the drainage system.
"All landlords are hereby directed to comply with these requirements with immediate effect. Environmental Officers will conduct impromptu inspections to monitor the level of compliance. Non-compliance will result in prosecution as per the provisions of the law,” Mosiria said in a statement on Thursday morning.
