A heap of garbage outside Marycliff School in Tudor / BRIAN OTIENOMombasa Senator
Mohamed Faki is a dejected man.
The county is about
to host thousands of international delegates who will be jetting into the
country for the first-ever Our Ocean Conference on African soil, but the
visitors will be welcomed by mounds of garbage strewn on the roads.
“Our county is now
infamous for dumping garbage haphazardly. Everywhere you go, you will get a
heap of garbage,” Faki said.
Speaking on Friday during
the launch of a container office of the Uhaki na Usawa Organization at Kwa Hola
chief’s compound, Faki said Mombasa residents are being denied their right to
a clean environment.
“(Mombasa county Youth,
Sports and Gender Affairs executive Jonathan) Wepukhulu, tell your environment colleague
(Kibibi Abdallah) to pull up her socks. We are tired of seeing heaps of garbage
everywhere,” the senator said.
Faki said it is a
shame that Mombasa is preparing to host more than 3,000 delegates from across the
world to discuss the ocean but the county is filthy.
The 11th
Our Ocean Conference (OOC11) takes place in Mombasa and Kilifi counties from
Tuesday, June 16, to Thursday, June 18 under the theme ‘Our Ocean, Our Heritage,
Our Future’.
It is the first
time the landmark global summit is being held on African soil. It brings
together governments, civil society, private sector, and youth to translate
global commitments into measurable action for ocean health and sustainability.
The pre-conference
events and research symposia began on Sunday, June 14.
“What image of our count will these delegates leave with from here?” Faki posed.
He called on all
the county executive members in Mombasa to work together and
remove all the garbage heaps lying across the county, on the roadsides and near
public utility areas.
“It will be such a
shame that a conference of that magnitude is being held in Africa and Mombasa
was selected to host it yet visitors have to suffer the eye soar of seeing
garbage strewn all over the county,” Faki said.
Mining and Blue
Economy CS Hassan Joho has been promoting the conference at every opportunity
he gets and will most likely be ashamed should visitors be welcomed by mounds
of garbage on the roadsides.
“We will have let
him down if the visitors arrive with the heaps of garbage all over the county.
He has worked hard to have the conference hosted in Mombasa,” Faki said.
The department of
environment, solid waste management and energy has acknowledged challenges in
in collecting garbage.
According to the department,
there are up to eight garbage truck out of its core fleet of 16 have broken down,
significantly curtailing their ability to collect the garbage as required.
The county has 12
main garbage trucks, alongside four modern compactor trucks.
Older trucks have occasionally
been grounded at the Faw yard in Miritini and the environment yard in Mvita.
“We have had major
mechanical breakdowns all at once. This is compounded by the lack of essential
spare parts within the country which leads to longer time in repairs,” Hamid
Shehan the departments chief officer, told the Star on Sunday.
He said the
construction of the road at Mwakirunge where the main dumpsite is has also
hampered collection efforts because the dumpsite is inaccessible.
However, Shehan
said they have started clearing waste from the roadsides.
“Guests will not
see any garbage heaps lying around the county because we will have cleared them,”
he promised.
INSTANT ANALYSIS
The garbage menace in Mombasa, driven by rapid
urbanisation, poor waste segregation at the source, and overflowing illegal
dumpsites, has been a persistent challenge for residents and local businesses.
The county generates over 1,000 tonnes of solid waste daily but less than 60
per cent is collected and disposed of properly. Neighbourhoods like Kisauni,
Likoni, Kongowea and Changamwe have frequently suffered from uncollected waste,
which blocks drainage systems and worsens seasonal flooding.
