Throwing away trash or waste by the roadside or along walkways in the Central Business District (CBD) will now land you in jail, Nairobi County Chief Environment Officer Geoffrey Mosiria has announced.
From those dropping their used candy wrappers and plastic soda bottles to business owners in CBD, Mosiria relayed that anyone found dropping waste in undesignated areas will be apprehended and charged for the vice.
"We are going to be making some popular decisions, including apprehending those who are not willing to comply until we achieve compliance," Mosiria stated.
Mosiria further urged business owners in the CBD to pay for the collection of their garbage instead of using street families, who he claimed did not dump the waste in designated areas.
"Please make sure that you use a registered person to dump your waste in the designated areas," he told businesspeople.
"Even hawkers, as you close up your businesses, make sure you collect your garbage and dump it in the transfer points, or if it's not much, put it in the litter bin within the CBD."
Mosiria was speaking during a nighttime CBD cleanup on Sunday, September 14, by 3,000 green army, geared towards ensuring a clean and accessible Nairobi city.
In a statement on Monday morning, Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja commended the thousands of Green Army personnel after leading them in the cleanup.
The army works in shifts across different sections of the city, ensuring garbage is collected and streets remain tidy. Sakaja revealed that despite criticism from some quarters, the team has consistently delivered on its mandate.
“Many discouraged me from confirming these workers to permanent and pensionable terms, arguing that they would become lazy, but the Green Army has proved otherwise. They deserve these jobs, and I urge them to continue proving the naysayers wrong,” Sakaja said.
The clean-up exercise also served as the foundation for the soon-to-be operational Green Nairobi Company Limited, a county-owned entity set to revolutionise waste management in the capital.
Once fully established, the company will take charge of modern, structured waste collection and disposal, providing a long-term solution to Nairobi’s garbage crisis.
