Vihiga county is planning to hire 30 environmental inspectors to end illegal dumping of waste, mining and lumbering.
Environment chief officer Richard Boiyo said the 30 are being trained on the new role.
Boiyo said illegal dumping is on the rise in the county due to the rise in population. The rise in the population has also contributed to deforestation as people seek materials to build homes and land for farming, he said.
"Illegal lumbering has majorly contributed to deforestation," Boiyo said. Lumbering is the cutting down of trees and turning them into wood used for building.
Boiyo said the inspectors will also reach out to residents and those who handle garbage to encourage them to sort the waste. “If sorting is done at the source, it will help us get materials to produce organic manure that will be sold to residents at a fair price,” he said.
Boiyo said the county has acquired a compactor through the Kenya Urban Support Programme, which was to serve municipal areas of Mbale, Chavakali, Mudete and Majengo.
But due to its capacity, the chief officer said, it will also serve Luanda, Cheptulu and Gambogi markets.
Boiyo said a few weeks ago the county hosted environmental sector multi-agency team at Mukumu farm tree nursery. The nursery is being supported by the Global Green Grant Fund in a bid to help the country to achieve 10 per cent tree cover by 2022.
The team comprised officials from the Environment department, Kenya Forest Service, Kenya Forestry Research Institute-Kakamega and Climate Change project officer at Anglican Development Services Western.
