Residents of Ganahola in Mikindani, Mombasa County, live in constant fear of potential landslides caused by an expanding dumpsite threatening their homes and graveyards.
The site has become a dumping ground for medical waste, raising concerns about disease outbreaks in this densely populated neighbourhood.
Despite a health notice issued by the Mombasa County Government warning against waste disposal at the site, people continue to sneak in at night to illegally dump garbage.
Hospital waste, including broken bottles and contaminated materials, now lies exposed at the site.
Parents are particularly worried as children play dangerously close to the dumpsite daily.
"I chase these children away from this place every day because dangerous broken bottles at the dumpsite could seriously injure them," one resident lamented.
The threat extends beyond health risks, with the waste pile now edging closer to homes and graves, raising fears of a catastrophic landslide.
Residents say they have no idea how much biomedical waste lies beneath the surface, nor what the long-term health implications might be.
Dan Manyala, the County Executive Committee member responsible for Roads and Infrastructure, issued a stern warning to offenders saying action will be taken against them.
"I would like to issue a stern warning to the people who dump medical waste here, that their days are numbered," Manyala stated.
However, years have passed with promises made but no action taken.
While the Mombasa County Government has admitted to delays in addressing the crisis, it claims that the site has been included in the county programme for the current financial year.
Frustrated residents are now appealing to donors, well-wishers and NGOs for intervention where both the national and county governments have failed.
Health experts warn that the improper disposal of pharmaceuticals, laboratory chemicals and contaminated medical materials is accelerating the spread of drug-resistant infections.
The county government has indicated that, if technical assessments confirm a threat to life, residents will be legally required to relocate to safer areas.
