Residents of Bulla Towfiq in Garissa want the county government to relocate the dumpsite, saying it is threatening their lives and those of their livestock.
Through their village representatives, the residents say polythene papers littering he village frequently clog the drains causing flooding, especially in the rainy seasons.
Speaking to the press at the site on Wednesday, Abdirizak Muhummed, a village elder, said 300 households affected by the dumpsite have moved away and others have rented houses in town.
The say stench from the dump is sickening and garbage, some containing toxins, seeps into the ground and groundwater.
A spot check revealed that only 50 households remain because they can't afford to leave and "continue to suffer," Muhammed said.
"We have on frequently complained to authorities but unfortunately they seem reluctant to act. Desperate residents have been forced to move to other areas,” he said.
The plea to move the dumpsite so far has been unanswered.
He added, “Over the past one year, we have lost uncounted heads of livestock at the site where they eat polythene papers, yet nobody seems to care."
Muhummed said the danger pf a fire disaster was real if proper precautions are not taken when burning garbage.
Fatuma Aden called on Governor Mohamed Ali Korane to personally intervene and ensure the problem is sorted out "once and for all".
The town, just like others in northeastern have been grappling with increased solid waste, especially plastic bottles littered,
In April, the Lands, Housing, Urban Development and Public Works executive warned of dire consequences for anyone found littering the town. He said it was the responsibility of everyone to keep the town clean.
He urged residents to put the litter at designated places, then garbage trucks will dispose of it at the dumpsite.
(Edited by V. Graham)
