The Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) is set to deploy 210 new trucks to assist in the collection of garbage in 17 sub-counties within the city.
NMS said that it had already purchased five out of the 210 trucks which will be given to contractors who were hired by the agency. NMS Environment Deputy Director Maureen Njeri said that other contractors would meanwhile use their own trucks to offer the services.
"We are done with the procurement process and what is remaining is issuing out the contract letters," Njeri said.
She added that the contractors were directed to pick garbage at gazetted collection points across all 85 wards in Nairobi.
The entity, under Director-General Mohamed Badi, has 22 trucks that collect garbage in Nairobi City and the addition of the new trucks will see the number rise to 233. The 22 trucks were revamped by the agency after Badi was appointed the DG in February 2020.
NMS engineers, on Friday, February 5, inspected the trucks that would handle garbage collection in the city. The exercise was conducted at Uhuru Park after City Hall moved to clear Ksh 1 billion arrears owed to different garbage contractors who had gone on strike.
Badi, in November 2020, lamented that cartels had infiltrated garbage collection, but assured residents that he would streamline the department and also arrest residents and firms which dump garbage illegally. The NMS boss said that he would enforce the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act 2015 section 36 (2 and 3).
The law dictates that any person who dumps or allows waste disposal is liable to a fine not exceeding Ksh 200,000. It adds that the default penalty is imprisonment not exceeding two years or both.
"Every household, business and individuals should be responsible for the waste they generate," the notice issued by NMS read.
Badi further unveiled plans to construct a multi-million dumpsite energy plant in Dandora slums, Nairobi County's main dumpsite which was reported to be already three times it's carrying capacity. NMS hopes that the factory will solve the county’s garbage menace.
Dandora holds over 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste against a capacity of 500,000 tonnes with a daily load of 100 trucks from various parts of the city.
