Nairobi,16th August 2024
Nairobi City County Environment Chief Officer Mr. Geoffrey Mosiria has urged Nairobi residents to take individual responsibility in maintaining cleanliness in the City of Nairobi.
Mr. Mosiria cited illegal dumping of waste and urinating within the undesignated areas as a major setback in maintaining a clean environment, and vowed to deal with the menace.
The Chief Officer over the last few days since his transition to the environment Subsector, set out an awareness tour around several city streets and markets aimed at discouraging people against littering, illegal dumping of garbage and reckless urination in the City. Culprits were given verbal warning.
“We shall not tolerate illegal dumping of waste and urinating all over the city which is prohibited in the City County bylaws. I urge all Nairobi residents to take personal responsibility in keeping the environment clean. It is everyone’s duty to keep their working environment clean by being responsible of the waste they generate. Our duty as the County Government is not to arrest anyone but to make sure people work and live under a clean environment as envisaged in H.E Governor Sakaja’s manifesto of a City of order, dignity, hope and opportunity for all. This can only be achieved if we all take our responsibility.” Stated Mr. Mosiria.
He also promised that the County Government will endeavor to regularly collect waste by making available the required number of trucks and machinery to support solid waste collection efforts across the city.
So far, several offenders have been arrested and charged for urinating, littering and illegal waste dumping. This aims to serve as a deterrent measure against environmental degradation.
Commenting on the issue of illegal dumping, the County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi Ms. Maureen Njeri termed the indiscriminate dumping of solid waste in undesignated spaces as a deterrent for the County from achieving a clean and healthy environment for the residents which is a constitutional right.
Ms. Njeri while cautioning Nairobians against illegal waste dumping, said that the vice attracts fines of 100k for the first offenders and 300k for repeat offenders under the Solid Waste Management Act 2015.
She added that the Environment Subsector with the support of the City inspectorate department has organized for a major clean up exercise at Starehe Sub-County on 24th August, as part of the ongoing efforts to maintaining a clean and healthy environment in the City and called on all Nairobians to join hands with the County in making Nairobi clean.
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