Environmentalists across Nyandarua County have called on the County Government to make concerted efforts to combat the perennial problem of reckless garbage littering.
The environmentalists claimed most shopping and trading centres in the county and residential homes lacked proper garbage management facilities posing a serious health risk to the local communities.
According to Mr. Thomas Nderitu, the Chief Executive Officer of COPICAD, a community organization dealing with environmental issues, communities living around these shopping centres and nearby rivers risk contracting waterborne diseases.
He says filthy garbage is swept by running waters and spilt into the nearby rivers where communities fetched water for domestic use.
Speaking during a clean-up exercise at Kasuku and Ol-Joro Orok trading centres, participants claimed that the County administration was reluctant to install solid waste disposal facilities within commercial centres to enhance cleanliness and easy collection of garbage.
“We are also calling on everybody to join hands in ensuring clean air as pollution has been cited as a high contributor to climate change as well as respiratory and dermatological conditions,” said Nderitu.
Kasuku Member of the business community Mr. Samwel Muthee expressed concerns of poor garbage management by the County Government of Nyandarua and hence called for concrete actions towards safeguarding the earth for a cleaner and healthier environment.
The clean-up exercise by the community groups and organizations aims to create awareness, advocacy and education amongst citizens on the importance of environmental consciousness.
They have dedicated themselves to addressing the consequences of climate change, pollution and ecosystem/biodiversity degradation to ensure a cleaner and healthier environment which will ultimately benefit the well-being of the local communities.
By Antony Mwangi
