City Hall begins crackdown on businesses over illegal waste disposal
Chief Environment Officer Geoffrey Mosiria said the crackdown will focus on hotels and other establishments that generate significant amounts of waste.
Nairobi City County has announced a major operation targeting businesses in the central business district (CBD) over improper waste disposal practices.
Speaking on Monday, Chief Environment Officer Geoffrey Mosiria said the crackdown will focus on hotels and other establishments that generate significant amounts of waste.
“I will be leading an operation in the CBD to inspect all hotels and other establishments that generate waste, focusing on how they manage and dispose of it,” Mosiria said.
He noted that sacks of garbage are frequently dumped along road reserves and walkways, contributing to the city’s untidiness and prompting the county government to act.
According to Mosiria, some businesses attempt to avoid the cost of proper waste disposal by hiring street families or unlicensed individuals who charge less but dump waste illegally.
“One of the biggest challenges we face is that many businesses that generate waste do not want to incur the cost of proper disposal. Instead, they hire street families or unlicensed individuals who end up dumping waste unlawfully,” he explained.
The officer warned that businesses failing to pay the county for waste collection or not using approved private service providers will face legal action.
He added that any garbage found dumped within the CBD will be traced back to its source, with those responsible held accountable.
The crackdown, Mosiria said, will extend beyond the CBD as part of broader efforts to eliminate illegal dumping across Nairobi, responding to growing calls for a cleaner city.
“Sometimes, difficult and unpopular decisions must be made to achieve lasting results, and a clean, organized city is our ultimate goal,” he added.
The move comes amid growing global concern over waste management.
A recent United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report, titled “Beyond an Age of Waste: Turning Rubbish into a Resource,” warned that municipal solid waste could surge by two-thirds within a single generation, with associated management costs nearly doubling if current practices continue.
The Global Waste Management Outlook 2024 (GWMO 2024), the most comprehensive update since 2018, projected that global municipal solid waste will rise from 2.3 billion tones in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050, underscoring the urgent need for proper waste management and sustainable practices.
Mosiria said Nairobi’s crackdown aligns with these global priorities, emphasizing that both legal enforcement and public awareness are crucial in achieving long-term environmental sustainability.
