The city management of Kisumu has rolled out a partnership with private waste collection firms to effectively manage solid waste in the area, Kisumu City Director of Environment Bernard Ojwang has said in an interview with KNA.
Through the initiative, waste management centers have been established at strategic points within the city where all the waste collected is segregated for proper disposal.
Ojwang said the centers constructed by the county government were open to private waste collectors free of charge.
The move, he said, targets to create spaces for the private waste collectors who have contracts with various firms in the area including the county government to collect and segregate waste to keep the city clean.
This, he added, has helped enhance solid waste management in the city which generates approximately 400 tonnes of solid waste daily.
Ojwang said the centers at Maendeleo market, Otonglo and Obunga have come in handy in the collection and disposal of plastics and other recyclable materials which were a menace.
The county government, he added, has hired additional cleaners to conduct routine cleaning within the city and at the same time deployed enforcement officers to ensure proper waste disposal.
Illegal dumping, he said, remained a big challenge in the area with some organizations using street children to collect garbage.
This, he said, was to blame for clogging of the drainage system adding that measures have been put in place to ensure proper enforcement of the city environment regulations.
“We are working on streamlining the city environment policies to come up with appropriate penalties for those engaging in illegal dumping,” he said.
Other measures, he said include sensitizing the community on proper waste management, provision of more bins for safe disposal of waste and benchmarking with other counties to learn best practices.
Dumping of non-recyclable waste, he said has been moved to Kasese following the successful relocation of Kachok dumpsite.
Jubilee Market Assistant Organizer Morris Obuka lauded the efforts by the city management saying it had solved the garbage menace at the facility.
“Initially waste management in the market was a nightmare. However, the county government has provided garbage bins which are emptied regularly,” he said.
He urged the private sector to partner with the county government to sensitize the locals on the importance of conserving the environment and at the same time enhance garbage collection.
By Victor Ikobe and Bill Ochieng
