Landlords, caretakers, and residents of Nairobi's Pipeline Estate now risk arrests after Nairobi City County announced a crackdown of garbage collection offenders.
Speaking after conducting an impromptu visit to a section of the estate, Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria announced plans to arrest culprits who fail to comply with waste management laws.
“We will begin an operation to arrest landlords and caretakers of all the buildings around here, as well as tenants living in the nearby houses. They are the ones polluting and dumping waste on the road,” Mosiria said.
According to Mosiria, the county is acting under the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act of 2015, which places responsibility for cleanliness within a 10-metre radius of any property on the premises owner.
“It’s unfortunate that many landlords in Pipeline do not pay for garbage collection services. As a result, their tenants, lacking proper waste disposal options, are forced to dispose of household waste directly onto the roads, posing serious health and environmental risks,” the county officer said.
The officer has advised property owners in the estate to contract Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) or private service providers to collect garbage and deliver it to the Dandora dumpsite instead of letting tenants dump anywhere.
“Moving forward, I will lead a strict enforcement exercise to ensure that all landlords, caretakers, and tenants involved in this illegal dumping are held accountable,” Mosiria continued.
The county crackdown comes at a time when there is growing frustration over the state of sanitation at Pipeline Estate, one of Nairobi’s most densely populated estates.
Residents have long complained about overflowing garbage, blocked drainage, and stench, which have, over time, turned public spaces into health hazards.
The county officer assured the residents that this would not be the case going forward as the county government is hell bent on ensuring the capital city is clean.
“Let’s keep Nairobi clean and dignified for all,” Mosiria said, calling on residents to take ownership of their environment.
The move is among the many in the county seeking to eliminate unlawful dumping sites across Nairobi. Earlier this year, Mosiria led operations to shut down unauthorized dumps along Likoni and Gitanga roads, impounding vehicles and revoking licenses of rogue garbage collectors.
