Kilifi County Government is set to an ambitious a Sh800 million sewerage recycling plant in Malindi town to produce briquettes that will solve energy crises in the region.
Governor Gideon Mung’aro said that he would soon launch the plant being set up in Sabaki area of Malindi Sub County through funding from the World Bank.
He said the plant would use human waste from toilets in Malindi and Watamu towns to produce coal that will be sold to residents and reduce the over-dependence on charcoal from wood that is blamed for environmental degradation.
Mr. Mung’aro was speaking at the Jesus Cares Centre (JCC) International church in Malindi town, where Senior Pastor, Bishop Thomas Kakala delivered a sermon on the need to remain steadfast in times of difficulty.
The governor said the briquettes would be made from a mixture of sludge, coconut husks and leaves, noting that the project was part of his administration’s agenda to clean Malindi town and its environs with a view to reviving the ailing tourism sector.
“Malindi needs to be clean. We already have development partners and in the next one or two weeks I will be launching a mega sanitation project in Sabaki where we shall produce coal briquettes so that people can stop cutting trees,” he said.
Mr. Mung’aro said his administration with the help of development partners had embarked on the construction of properly lined toilets in both Malindi and Watamu towns, a project that would cost about Sh120 million.
The Governor who was accompanied by several Members of the Kilifi County Assembly (MCAs) and other senior county leaders said the modern toilets will cost a total of Sh10 million and will have among other services, a modern bathroom with fully furnished modern bathing facilities.
“I want to make it clear here that once these toilets are ready, they will be run by both youth and women groups. This again will also be another form of creating job opportunities,” he said.
He said he was also working towards improving the Malindi town’s drainage system, which he said was a major stumbling block to the tourist resort town’s development, as well as end incessant water shortages.
Mr. Mung’aro took advantage of the church service to enumerate some of his achievements since taking office, which he said included the stocking of adequate medical drugs in all the county’s health facilities.
“Within the first 100 days in office, I commissioned the distribution of medicines in all our health facilities and now the problem of lack of drugs is a thing of the past. The problem we now have is where to store the drugs and we have been forced to keep them in the wards,” he said.
The governor said that he recently signed a supplementary budget that included the purchase of state-of-the art ambulances to replace the aging ones.
“Some of the ambulances we have been using are not fitted with lifesaving equipment while rushing a patient for referrals. Now we want to have some of the best ambulances that will be at par in saving life’s when called into operation,” he said.
He said he had identified a machine in Germany that could save diabetic patients from having their limbs amputated and that he would soon travel to Dubai for a health conference where he intends to scout for more modern equipment.
He said he would also support the national government in its efforts to develop the Galana-Kulalu Food Security Project with a view to improving food security in the county and beyond.
By Emmanuel Masha
