Kirinyaga county installs garbage skips to boost hygiene in shopping centres

A garbage skip is installed at Kimbimbi shopping centre in Kirinyaga /ALICE WAITHERA

The Kirinyaga County Government has distributed 26 garbage skips and a new loading truck to boost waste management in towns and trading centres. 

The open skips, which allow easier loading of waste, have been placed in towns that previously had none and those with busy markets.

While launching the enhanced solid waste management initiative, Governor Anne Waiguru said the skips will help improve sanitation in markets and trading centres across the county. 

She added that proper waste collection will be key to the success of the Material Recovery Facility being set up at Kutus to enhance waste sorting and recycling, reducing environmental pollution and creating new job opportunities.

The governor said her administration is at the forefront of embracing climate-resilient programmes aimed at mitigating the effects of climate change. 

The initiative is part of the county’s broader climate action plan under the Financing Locally-Led Climate Action (FLLoCA) Programme, which enhances environmental sustainability and community well-being.

“These will improve our cleanliness especially in markets and trading centres. We are working on a material recovery facility and these skips are a step closer to realising this dream,” she added.

Last year, a total of 44 skips were acquired and placed in urban centres to help in the collection of garbage.

Waiguru said rising population, expansion of towns, and an increased number of businesses, mainly driven by a vibrant agricultural economy, have resulted in increased residential and commercial waste that requires a proper disposal system in urban centres.

Residents and traders in various markets welcomed the initiative, saying it will help keep the urban centres clean, thus improving the business environment.

County government workers collect waste at Kimbimbi shopping centre.

Faith Ngonyo, a trader at Kimbimbi market, cited long-standing challenges with open dumping, overflowing waste and foul smell that had affected their business operations. 

She said with the enhanced waste management, the towns will become cleaner and with the placement of more garbage skips, members of the public have no reason to litter the streets.

Pauline John, another trader, expressed relief, saying the few garbage skips in the town were inadequate in handling the waste produced by the rising population in the area.

“Garbage has been dumped here for a while and due to wind, it was sometimes blown away and littered the entire area. The miraa waste dumped would make the smell very foul,” she said.

John Kiura, a resident, said the distribution of additional skips in the town will help keep the area clean and free from diseases.

“These new skips will help keep our market clean, because our market is normally very busy and the garbage heaps up quickly and becomes an eyesore. We are happy the county is taking further steps to maintain cleanliness,” Kiura said.

At Piai area, Albert Mbogo, a second-hand clothes trader, said overflowing uncollected waste had been a big headache for traders and residents. 

“As a member of this town’s business community, the garbage has been a major hindrance for me as my stall is right next to it. It would deter many of my potential customers and I have often had to spend from my own pocket to hire people to move the waste,” he said.

He thanked the county government for addressing the garbage management issue in the town, saying it was long overdue. 

“I thank the county for this initiative. Now I won’t have to incur extra costs just to keep my business space clean,” he added.