The Kiambu government has boosted its campaign on proper waste management by distributing litter bins and rallying residents to clean up their neighbourhoods.
Governor Kimani Wamatangi told the Star his aim is to keep Kiambu clean so residents have a conducive place to work and live in.
"When I came in as the governor, I had to change the way things were done and immediately set aside a one-day cleanup exercise per month. It was seen like it would fade away within a short time but now the exercise is vibrant and we clean Kiambu county every last Saturday of the month," Wamatangi said.
His government has procured litter bins and every ward will have a skip loader so that garbage is collected on time.
“The county will no longer see garbage heaps littered alongside roads since we have acquired litter bins that Kiambu residents will use to put their garbage and the skip loaders will collect the garbage in time as we have adequate employees who will be doing the work," he said.
Government cleaners have been equipped with attires and equipment to ease their work and will be added more.
"The workers have aprons and gloves while others have equipment to help them perform their duties effectively," Wamatangi said.
Environment executive David Kuria said the monthly cleanup exercise is a success since all departments are involved and are committed to ensure Kiambu is clean.
"The county government departments gather at around 6am on the last Saturday of every month and we start cleaning the county, which has seen the residents join in as it is a noble quest," Kuria said.
He said the litter bins for waste segregation distributed across all the county 12 subcounties signify commitment towards responsible waste management in Kiambu.
The governor urged county cleaners to work diligently.
"You do not expect me to be friends with a worker who does not report to work early and does a shoddy job or skips work yet they want promotions. One must put in the work, be focused and work with honesty," he said
The government no longer employs casuals but engages employees on contract so that they can enjoy a gratuity when they retire.
“Contracts have their own guidelines and procedures and have a provision of gratuity. If one has worked for a period of two years and your performance is good then there is no discussion because as a governor my duty is to renew that contract and you continue with your work," he said.
The governor said the workers will be promoted only on merit.
"What we do not want is a shortcut to promotions and people being told that they rose to high ranks because they are a girlfriend or boyfriend to so and so. We cannot allow someone to be employed yesterday and become a supervisor to people who have worked for many years in the same positions," he said.