Nairobi's Central Business District has turned into a stinking landfill.
Nairobi Metropolitan Services had improved garbage collection greatly but filth has again been piling up for two weeks.
The Directorate of Environment told the Star NMS collects the garbage daily. NMS said the same.
So what's going on? Who will fix it?
Commuters have been waking up to garbage-filled streets and walkways near Tom Mboya Street and Moi Avenue.
Garbage is piled in lanes between streets such as Lagos, Tsavo and Ngariama.
Some litter bins are overflowing with trash while others have been turned upside down, spilling garbage. It includes decomposing waste, paper, plastic, water bottles, clothing, shredded paper and office waste.
The street sweepers who used to be clean the streets every morning are nowhere to be seen.
Residents are disgusted and angry about the 'new look' CBD, asking whether NMS, which has made so much progress, has finally encountered a mission impossible — garbage.
However, residents are also to blame for littering and illegal dumping..
“Nairobi is slowly becoming a dirty city. The capital cannot be this dirty. Moi Avenue and Khoja stage are now dumping sites,” resident Victor Omondi said.
“Is NMS on a go-slow because the CBD is being turned into a trash zone. What happened to making Nairobi a green city in the sun again, or was that just PR? Nairobi is choking on trash," Joy Muriuki said.
“Trash bins in the CBD are full with heaps of trash piled up next to them. They are an eyesore and a health risk,” Catherine Maganga said.
“What is happening to Nairobi? The place has become a dumpsite, there's no garbage collection, no cleaning and stench is everywhere. This city is in a bad state," Andrew Gatimu said.
“Hawkers and business people should know they have a responsibility to properly dispose of their waste and not dump it along the streets,” Miriam Kwasi said.
“Hawkers who sell their items on the roadside until curfew should be held responsible for filth seen on the streets, especially early in the morning,” Joseph Kang’eri said.
NMS was tasked by President Uhuru Kenyatta to reform garbage collection and disposal in collaboration with the National Youth Service.
It appears unable to do the job.
NYS signed a one-year renewable contract and started to collect garbage across the city.
They started the clean-up after garbage contractors went on strike over unpaid arrears by City Hall..
The county collects billions of shillings in revenue from residents, but has yet to properly collect the garbage.
EFFORTS BUT NO RESULTS
In October, NMS repaired and reactivated 21 garbage trucks that had been grounded, but their work has yet to be seen and smelt.
In February, NMS boss Mohammed Badi's team brought in street-sweeping machines for the CBD.
They were to be used every night, replacing the labour-intensive system of street sweepers who were to be deployed elsewhere.
The machines were to operate from 9pm along Harambee, Kenyatta and Moi avenues and along Tom Mboya, Standard, Mama Ngina, Kimathi and Muindi Mbingu streets.
In March, garbage collection was said to improve as NMS hired new contractors, bringing 205 trucks.
Badi's team also deployed the repaired garbage trucks.
Last year, NMS aimed to dispose of an average of 3,000 tonnes of garbage at the Dandora dumpsite daily.
The agency improved collection from 1,000 tonnes to an average of 2,500 tonnes a day.
NMS had earlier accused 'saboteurs' of undoing their good work by spilling and piling up heaps of garbage where it had already been collected.
Last year in November, it was announced those who litter or illegally dump garbage can fined Sh200,000, jailed for two years or both. This is contained in the Nairobi Solid Waste Management Act, 2015, Section 36(2 and 3).
The announcement was made after NMS formed a team to start enforcing regulations on solid waste management.
The team was made up of regular police and Administration Police officers and officers from NMS from all the 17 subcounties. It was to be responsible for cracking the whip on illegal dumping of waste and littering.
(Edited by V. Graham)