• Nairobi generates 5,000 tons of waste daily. Dandora dumpsite was officially opened in 1975 with World Bank funds and 26 years later in 2001, it was considered full.
• Uncollected solid waste accounts for 774 tones per day, while private recycling companies handle 654 tones daily.
Image: ANDREW KASUKU
The government is considering putting more money into the waste-to- energy project in Dandora.
This possibility was revealed by Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi on Thursday last week.
He said, “Dandora is growing bigger and bigger as a dumpsite. Maybe now it is well over 60 hectares. There is potential for energy from there. Initially, it was about 30 megawatts, perhaps with additional dumping it has gone up.”
The high official said determined efforts and extra funds are necessary for the issues around Dandora to be dealt with effectively.
Mudavadi cited Tokyo where 40 per cent of its energy comes from waste, adding that Nairobi residents are sitting on the goldmine.
The Prime Cabinet Secretary made his remarks at Nairobi Arboretum when he presided over the launch of a strategic plan (2023-2027) for the Ministry of Environment.
The strategic plan provides a roadmap the ministry will pursue for five years.
Experts say a thousand kilos of waste can provide heat and energy for 200 households.
Further, the same waste can provide 700kWh of electricity and provide heating power of 200kg of cooking oil.
The Dandora dumpsite is more than three times full.
It is holding more than 1.8 million tonnes of solid waste against a capacity of 500,000 tonnes, with more than 2,500 tonnes of waste deposited at the site daily.
Last year, the National Environment Management Authority asked the public to submit comments on an environmental impact assessment study report for the proposed waste-to energy project at the dumpsite.
In a notice in the dailies, Nema said it received an environmental impact assessment study report from Kenya Electricity Generating Company PLC for the proposed project.
This is pursuant to Regulations 21 of Environmental Management and Co-ordination (Impact Assessment and Audit) Regulations 2005.
Environmental Impact Assessment is a critical examination of the effects of a project on the environment.
Nairobi generates about 5,000 tonnes of waste daily.
Uncollected solid waste accounts for 774 tonnes per day, while private recycling companies handle 654 tonnes daily.
Dandora dumpsite was officially opened in 1975 with World Bank funds and 26 years later in 2001, it was considered full.
Garbage has been compacted and Nairobi's garbage still ends up at Dandora.
To get rid of the dumpsite, the old Nairobi Metropolitan Services and KenGen signed an MoU to set up an energy plant in August 2020.
This will generate a new income stream for City Hall and an opportunity for KenGen to diversify its electricity sources.
Under the MoU signed between the two, KenGen will develop and operate the power plant, while the NMS was to provide the land and the solid waste to the power plant.
The initial site of the project was Dandora, but a decision was made to change the project site to a more suitable location after due diligence and concerns over safe flight path requirements.
After looking at several alternatives within the city of Nairobi and its environs, the joint team settled on the Ruai site.
However, in 2016, Kenya Civil Aviation Authority opposed plans for the Ruai landfill, saying it fell within the Jomo Kenyatta International Airport flight path.
KCAA said the dumpsite, just 10km from the country’s main airport, would breach International Civil Aviation Authority requirement that such a facility be at least 13km from a runway.
ICAO said the movement of birds from a dumpsite that is near an airport can cause bird hits, resulting in fatal accidents or serious damage to aircraft.
ICAO develops policies and standards, undertakes compliance audits and performs studies and analyses.
It also provides assistance and builds aviation capacity through many other activities and the cooperation of its member states.
The Sustainable Waste Management Act was signed into law on July 8, 2022.
The new law ensures that waste is collected, separated at the source, reused and recycled and that the remaining waste stream is destined for a secure, sanitary landfill.
The Act is expected to cut down waste by 95 percent.