The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has deployed high-tech machines to clean the Nairobi CBD as it seeks to reduce over-reliance on labour intensive human sweepers. .
According to a statement from NMS, the 3 new mechanical sweepers were added to the city’s clean up fleet, bringing the total number to 6.
“These will be deployed every night to clean up the city streets replacing the labour intensive system with those individuals to be deployed elsewhere,” the agency explained.
The special purpose vehicles have previously been spotted along Koinange Street, Kenyatta Avenue and Moi Avenue.
Joining the direction major world cities have taken, the equipment has a sweeping width of up to 2500 mm.
Each of the new sweepers also have a 500 litres water storage tank, suction system to collect and upload debris to a volume of 6 cubic metres and a watering system to reduce the adverse effects of dust to the operators and the public.
The cleaning solvents are sprayed using a front-mounted high-pressure water bar and a rear-mounted jet. The pressure is powerful enough to blast off any heavy mud or dirt and also clean down the same machine after use.
This reduces the risk of exposure to the labour force during the Covid-19 pandemic and beyond. Once collected the garbage will eventually be carted away to the Dandora Dumpsite.
NMS has also commenced an exercise to inspect trucks that have been contracted to collect garbage in Nairobi.
The agency contracted several private entities for the job after City Hall took to clear arrears owed to different garbage contractors amounting to Ksh 1 Billion.
