Discontinue all contracted garbage firms for probe, Elachi tells Sonko

Nairobi County Assembly Speaker Beatrice has urged Governor Mike Sonko to terminate all contracts to the firms awarded garbage collection and disposal tenders in the city.

This comes after Governor Sonko spent almost nine hours being quizzed by the Ethics and Anti-Corruption Commission at the Integrity Centre and recorded a statement in relation to the multi-million garbage collection and disposal tender.

Elachi explained to the Sta on Wednesday that terminating the contracts will provide a conducive environment for investigation to be carried.

"After the investigations are done the county should start a fresh and transparent tender process for all firms interested in collecting the city's waste," she said.

However, the speaker also stated that it was prudent that even besides recording a statement, Sonko should check in with the environment department to get a clear picture on what happened with the procurement process of the companies involved.

In February 2019, the county had been put on the spot for awarding a firm Sh278 million two-year contract for garbage collection in the city centre to Aende Group company with no experience in waste management.

In March former Environment Executive Larry Wambua gave a list of 14 firms contracted to collect garbage in Nairobi.The companies included Felixilease Ltd, Vineyard Holdings, Hardi Enterprises, Jackoy Enterprises, Purlexis Enterprises, Acacia Equipment, Yiro Enterprise and Commodity Waste Management. Others are Kange Construction, Yiro Enterprises, Creative Consolidated System, J W Mwangi, Tema Home Care and Nyawa Agencies.

In October 2018, an irregularity was discovered at City Hall after it emerged companies that collect garbage were paid different amounts for delivering the same services.

Hardi Enterprise was owed Sh22.6 million for the provision of heavy equipment and machinery in July.

Another firm, Purlexis Ltd, was owed Sh2.2 million, despite providing similar services as Hardi.

Last year in May, Sonko halted Sh700 million garbage contracts, citing they had expired.

The former senator further said that Nairobi's garbage collection sector is dominated and surrounded by 'cartels which is the reason behind why until today the county has not been able to deal with the Dandora dumpsite which was declared full in 2001.

"The environment sector to be precise garbage collection area has a lot of interest which are also political that is why garbage menace was still the major challenge being faced even Kidero was in office," Elachi said.

The Speaker also appeared in an interview in a local television station yesterday morning where she shared the same sentiments.

According to Elachi, garbage collection has many loopholes where people are playing around with money.

She further argued that the companies whose contracts ended, those renewed and the new contracted ones might have a connection with the political field of Nairobi.

Backing the speaker's sentiments Lawyer Charles Omanga requested that the Directorate of Criminal Investigations should look into the garbage collection issue.

'As much as it will be prudent for the Nairobi County Government to disband these contracts, the DCI should also intervene . Kenyans would be shocked to see number of cartels involved in the garbage menace," he said.

Omanga further said that the Dandora dumpsite shod be generating revenue for Kenya just like it happening in Denmark.

'The thugs hiding around the dumpsite should be removed and the place transformed into a huge company where Nairobi and other counties can supply gas out of the garbage, he said.