This directive will ensure that garbage collectors operating the trucks will be held accountable by the government for the transportation of waste from collection points at residences to the allocated disposal sites.
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Wednesday, November 11 directed that all garbage trucks nationwide are to be tracked. This will be achieved through a document issued by the National Environment Management Authority of Kenya (NEMA).
The CS announced this while issuing a statement on the National Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022 which requires households to separate their waste. Here, households in Kenya are set to receive three colour-coded bags: green for organic waste, blue for dry recyclables and red for hazardous items.
“Waste collection trucks pick up these separated items, transporting them to a Material Recovery Facility with two main chambers for sorting: one for wet and one for dry waste, while hazardous red-bagged waste is sent for incineration.
“To ensure traceability, waste trucks will carry a NEMA-issued tracking document and follow designated routes to disposal sites,” announced Duale in part.
CS Aden Duale during a meeting with UNHCR Kenya Country Director Caroline van Buren on October 7, 2024. /ADEN DUALE
This directive will ensure that garbage collectors operating the trucks will be held accountable by the government for the transportation of waste from collection points at residences to the allocated disposal sites.
Regarding industrial pollution, the CS revealed that NEMA has identified 145 facilities along the Nairobi River basin that release untreated industrial waste due to malfunctioning Effluent Treatment Plants (ETP).
He further noted that waste from informal settlements, which is primarily organic (less than 1% industrial), can be managed sustainably using bio-digesters.
“Kenya’s new policies aim to shift from a linear economy of “use and dispose” to a circular economy where waste is viewed as a resource. By recycling and reusing materials, Kenya seeks to transform waste into wealth, driving sustainable development,” he added.
More to follow…