13 Nairobi business owners and their staff were on Wednesday, February 15 apprehended in a crackdown targeting establishments linked to improper waste disposal.
In a statement released by Nairobi County, a team commissioned by Governor Johnson Sakaja launched an impromptu operation to nab those dumping waste at undesignated spots.
Among these arrested in the early morning clampdown were operators of hotels and their staffers.
"The suspects nabbed during an operation at City Parks and Ngara markets were dumping hotel waste," the statement read in part.
Photos shared by the county showed the suspects, including a man dressed in chef regalia, being led into an awaiting vehicle.
All suspects were taken into custody at the county cells and were processed for arraignment in court for dumping.
According to the city bylaws, depositing any type of material or waste on the streets and burning or throwing away waste in an inappropriate place are listed as offences.
"Occupiers or tenants of any building/trade premises must have a sizeable container with a good lid in which the daily domestic waste should be kept," the city laws read in part.
The operation came hours after officials from City Hall organises a clean-up of the bus station including de-clogging of the drainage systems filled with dump.
Solid waste management is among the teething problems Sakaja's administration is confronting, with mushrooming of uncommissioned dumping sites that have become an eyesore.
Since being sworn-in as governor, Sakaja vowed to deal with the menace to restore the dignity of the city.
In the run-up to the election in August 2022, he promised to implement an e-waste management and disposal system and set up sewerage projects to prevent sewage pipes from polluting the streets.
