The county government of Mombasa is contemplating privatisation of waste management, saying it has become expensive.
Deputy Governor Francis Thoya, who is also the county executive for Environment and Solid Waste Management, said the county spends about Sh1.2 billion on fuel, equipment and salaries annually to collect garbage.
Thoya said Mombasa is the only county not charging residents for the services. Privatisation is the way to go as it will improve service delivery and create more jobs for the residents, he said.
According to the Mombasa County Solid Waste Management Act 2021, residents are supposed to be paying Sh200 monthly for the services, but this has not been affected.
“Managing waste is an expensive affair, but who will incur the cost? Most people dump their waste on the roadsides waiting for the county to come and pick in the pretense,” Thoya said.
“But what you need yourself, is the tax enough to take it to Mwakirunge?”
He spoke at Swahilipot Hub Foundation where he accompanied the US ambassador to Kenya Meg Whitman who had come to meet finalists of the Mombasa Plastics Prize competition.
Mombasa, with a population of about 1.2 million residents, produces around 1,200 tons of waste daily, with the county only able to collect about 704 tons (56 per cent) of it.
The remaining waste often remains in the streets blocking drainage systems, littering the town and creating of illegal landfills.
“We can no longer sustain this with the current cost of fuel and equipment. We have given our proposal to the governor and are waiting to hear from him after which if he agrees we will issue a notice,” Thoya said.
In the first 100 days in office as the second Mombasa county boss, Governor Abdulswamad Nassir initiated a rapid response initiative that saw 32 illegal landfills shut down across the county.
During the same period, the county floated an international expression of interest for solid waste management, but only two companies submitted their proposals thus halting the process.
“If we continue to offer the service for free will, this will not change the mentality of Mombasa people, they should start paying for these services.
“It’s however an expensive affair because an investor will require not less than Sh5 billion to set up a recycling plant and take up and manage the waste,” Thoya said.
Thoya however said this is still a proposal and it will have to be subjected to public participation as they plan to discuss it in cabinet and hear what the governor has to say about it before they proceed.
He proposed that if it sails through, then the county should issue a two-year notice for residents to prepare to start paying for the service once it is privatised.
The county government will then zone areas based on the level of income and determine charges as it will only bear the duty of picking waste from public institutions like schools, markets and hospitals.
Thoya said the closure of Kibarani dumpsite has now put pressure on Mwakirunge as residents of the area have been protesting the increased waste that is proving to be a health hazard.
Mombasa now has only one gazetted dumpsite, Kibarani, used to take up 70 per cent of all the waste produced in Mombasa, while Mwakirunge only takes in waste from Nyali and Kisauni constituencies.
Environmentalists have welcomed the move but have cautioned the county to ensure that there is public participation.
Speaking to Star, Chokwe Munga, the chairman of Clean Mombasa CBO, said privatising waste management is a good idea.
“It is a good idea and we welcome it, but the public must be involved. We don’t want to see a situation where the county just wakes up and decides to do something without involving residents,” he said.