The County Government of Murang’a has acquired two Sh46 million trucks and 21 refuse collection bins to boost refuse collection in major local towns.
The loader trucks are expected to solve the challenge of garbage collection, which has been witnessed in major towns within the county.
Commissioning the trucks Deputy Governor Stephen Munania said with the new trucks, garbage collection will be done on time, enabling residents to operate in a clean environment.
The County Executive Committee Member (CECM) for Water and Environment, Mary Magochi, said the 21 refuse collection bins will be placed in strategic areas where residents will be required to dispose of garbage.
The bins, she noted, will be put in Murang’a town, Kenol, and Kangari, among other towns, to help in the collection of garbage.
“We request residents within the towns which have bins to use them to dispose of their garbage. The trucks will be collecting refuse on specific days of the week,” she added.
Magochi further said the county government will come up with regulations to enforce better ways of solid waste disposal, saying those who are found dumping garbage outside designated areas will be penalised.
“As we strive to ensure cleanliness in our towns, we want our people to be responsible when it comes to disposing of solid garbage. Let every resident dump refuse in the bins,” noted Magochi.
Meanwhile, the CECM said the county government is working with the national government to realise the completion of a sanitary landfill located in the Mitumbiri area.
The project, initially undertaken by the defunct Nairobi Metropolitan Services to handle solid waste from Murang’a, stalled two years ago at 70 per cent completion.
“The landfill project, funded to the tune of Sh1 billion, once completed, will easily handle all refuse generated in the county, estimated at 390 metric tonnes daily,” said Magochi.
She continued, “The remaining part of the project is expected to be done within a short period so that the county can properly handle and manage all solid waste generated locally.”
On her part, County Assembly Environment Committee Chairperson Diana Kagiri said the assembly will allocate more funds in the next financial year budget for the procurement of more trucks so as to ensure the menace of uncollected garbage becomes a thing of the past in urban areas.
“In the next financial year, two more trucks will be procured to ensure all the 144 markets are clean,” said Kagiri, who serves as a nominated MCA.
By Bernard Munyao
