Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja has announced the signing of a Project Development Agreement with the China National Electric Engineering Company (CNEEC) to advance plans for the Dandora waste-to-energy plant.
In a statement on Sunday, September 21, the governor revealed that the agreement had been signed on Friday, following a high-level meeting with the company.
This agreement, which also roped in the Ministry of Energy, through the Energy and Petroleum Regulatory Authority (EPRA), brings the 45 Megawatt project to an advanced stage of finalising the Power Purchase Agreement.
Speaking after the meeting, Sakaja termed the milestone as a breakthrough decades in the making, noting that previous administrations had been unable to take the project this far.
“This project will transform the city while creating green jobs for Nairobi’s youth,” he said.
Once operational, the plant is expected to address Nairobi’s long-standing solid waste challenges, generating electricity from refuse while promoting environmental sustainability and creating economic opportunities for residents.
Sakaja further highlighted that the recently hired 4,000 Green Army workers on permanent and pensionable terms would come in handy once the project comes to fruition.
The soon-to-be-established Green Nairobi Company Limited, an autonomous body, will revolutionise waste management in the capital.
The company will take charge of modern, structured waste collection and disposal, providing a long-term solution to Nairobi’s garbage crisis.
Governor Sakaja described the project as a game-changer that positions Nairobi as a leader in innovative waste management solutions in Africa.
The project is expected to cost an estimated construction cost of $197 million (Ksh50 billion).
The project has suffered several setbacks since its conception in 2013, including in 2020 when Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) and KenGen shelved the project after suffering multiple delays in tender and feasibility studies of the project.
