In a show of commitment to environmental stewardship and community involvement, the Department of Environment and Waste Management in Kiambu County led by Governor Kimani Wamatangi and residents from Ruiru spearheaded this month’s monthly cleanup exercise in the Sub-County.
Speaking during the exercise which took place across the county, the county boss expressed his desire to see the effects of pollution and litter in the area addressed and emphasized on the need to educate people, especially the youth on the importance of waste management.
The county boss stressed the need for local action in addressing environmental issues during the cleanup operation.
“We want to give Ruiru people a conducive environment to live and work in and at the same time train them to take environmental conservation seriously as a personal responsibility. The only way we can reclaim our environment is if we partner with each other in this noble cause,” the governor said adding that an initiative dubbed “My Environment My Responsibility” had been rolled out.
“We all need to understand that the changes in weather patterns that we are experiencing have largely been caused by the unnatural actions we have done to the environment. As human beings first and residents of Ruiru second, we have a moral responsibility to reduce global warming gasses by keeping our environment clean among other things that will inhibit global warming for present as well as future generations,” said Mr. Wamatangi.
The governor called on other institutions and corporate entities within Ruiru to join the noble cause saying it was for the greater good of the society.
The clean-up programme consisted of garbage collection, unclogging of drainages, sweeping and cleaning of roads and market places, clearing of bushes, planting of grass, flowers and trees along the streets and recreational parks within the town.
Esther Njambi, a resident of Ruiru area, said she was motivated by the turnout of the governor, his aides and other residents and was happy that the environment would benefit from their collaborative cleaning efforts.
“I urge the county government to provide the area with dustbins for waste collection as most of the waste we have collected today would have been avoided if dustbins had been available for waste disposal,” she said.
The collaborative effort not only immediately improved Ruiru’s cleanliness but also powerfully conveyed the value of environmental stewardship.
The clean-up exercise was introduced earlier this year by Governor Wamatangi as a way of ensuring all Kiambu Sub-counties were kept clean in a collaboration between county staff members, the private sector and the communities at large.
By Hellen Lunalo
