Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia on Wednesday was forced to suspend a Sh2 Billion project in his hometown, Murang'a County following uproar from locals who opposed it.
CS Macharia put the landfill project which was meant to be put up in Mitumbiri, Maragua constituency on hold via an advert in local newspapers.
He stated that the project was suspended until proper public participation was done.
“I have directed that the development of this project to stop with immediate effect until widespread public consultations and participation has been undertaken,” he declared.
[caption caption="Transport and Infrastructure Cabinet Secretary James Macharia"]
[/caption]
The CS cited that lack of public involvement in the project as the main cause of opposition to the project by locals maintaining that the suspension would be lifted once all the shareholders agreed.
The project is spearheaded by Nairobi Metropolitan Service Improvement Programme (Namsip) where the sanitary landfill is meant to recycle waste and biodegradable materials from various counties.
Once completed the landfill is meant to collect garbage from Nairobi, Kiambu, Kajiado, Murang’a and Machakos counties.
Officials from Namsip have defended the project, clarifying that it is not a dumpsite.
The officer in charge, Peter Bundi, stated that the project would uphold the highest levels of sanitation denying that the wastewater would contaminate their water sources.
“The project is owned by the Government and is funded by World Bank and the Government of Kenya to provide alternative means of waste management disposal.
“The landfill waste storage cells will be lined up with impermeable synthetic which will prevent wastewater from seeping into the ground. All the leachate will be entirely collected and treated in leachate treatment ponds before release to the environment,” he was quoted by the Nation.
Earlier in January, Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang’ata rejected the project stating that it would have a negative effect on locals.
[caption caption="Murang'a Senator Irungu Kang’ata"]
[/caption]
“We cannot channel our water to Nairobi and all we get is garbage. I will not allow that,” he declared when Deputy President William Ruto visited the area.
