Nairobi County Head of Medical Waste Management James Mwita speaking during the final day of the Clean-Air Forum in Nairobi on July 17, 2025 / PERPETUA ETYANGNairobi is producing an estimated 1.5 million kilogrammes of hospital waste every month—and 95 per cent of it is being burned in open fires, posing serious health and environmental risks.
This alarming trend has raised concern among experts and stakeholders, who warn that the capital’s hospital waste management practices are outdated, non-compliant with regulations, and endangering public health.
According to George Mwaniki, Country Representative for the World Resources Institute and Head of Air Quality in Kenya, most of the hospital waste is being incinerated in uncertified facilities or simple burning chambers that lack pollution control systems.
Only 5,000 kilogrammes—less than 1 per cent of the total—is processed through the city’s sole certified incinerator.
“The state of hospital waste in Nairobi is really bad,” Mwaniki said.
“We are producing around 1.5 million kilograms of hospital waste monthly, yet almost all of it is managed in violation of national and international standards.”
Current Kenyan regulations require hospital waste to be incinerated safely using certified equipment with pollution scrubbers.
However, Mwaniki noted that incineration is increasingly being phased out globally due to the release of highly toxic pollutants such as dioxins and furans—known carcinogens that contribute to Nairobi’s rising cancer rates.
“There is a huge gap,” Mwaniki said. “A lot of hospital waste is managed against regulations. Even where incinerators exist, most do not meet the required standards and end up polluting the environment.”
He called for a shift toward safer, non-thermal technologies such as autoclaving and microwaving, which neutralise infectious waste without releasing harmful emissions. These alternatives allow the treated waste to be recycled or safely dumped.
Nairobi County’s Head of Medical Waste Management, James Mwita, echoed these concerns, stating that most health facilities do not use compliant incinerators.
Proper incineration requires dual chambers operating at 800°C and 1,200°C, but many facilities fall short of these benchmarks.
“Inadequate incineration releases 13 cancer-causing pollutants into the air,” Mwita said.
“These non-compliant incinerators lack the air cleaning systems required under the Stockholm Convention and are a major health hazard.”
Mwita also acknowledged the challenge of underfunding, noting that many hospitals lack the resources to invest in modern waste management technologies.
He urged the government to prioritise funding and engage private partners to improve systems.
“While it is the government’s responsibility to ensure safe medical waste disposal, shrinking budgets mean we must work together with other stakeholders,” he said.
Despite the grim situation, Mwaniki said there are efforts underway to draft a medical waste management policy for Nairobi.
This includes exploring a model where the private sector handles waste collection while the county focuses on regulation.
“We’re advising the county on separating roles and finding a sustainable model. We’re in the early stages, but we’re hopeful,” Mwaniki said.
Experts now warn that without urgent action, the continued burning of hospital waste will only worsen Nairobi’s air quality and health outcomes.
World Resources Institute Country Representative for Kenya and the Head of Air Quality, George Mwaniki, speaking at the Clean-Air Forum on July 17, 2025/ PERPETUA ETYANG
