Nairobi Governor Sakaja Johnson has defended the
soon-to-be-launched Green Nairobi Company Limited, an initiative aimed at
revolutionising waste management and environmental cleanliness in the capital.
Speaking on JKL, Sakaja revealed that he had earlier
commissioned a comprehensive study into urban waste solutions, benchmarking
against global cities such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, Lagos, and Addis Ababa.
These cities, he noted, have adopted specialised entities to
manage solid waste, a strategy he believes Nairobi urgently needs to emulate.
“Solid waste management is a major challenge in urban areas.
In Nairobi, garbage collection has become a commercial enterprise where people
are paid based on the weight of trash collected, not on how clean the area is.
That needs to change,” Sakaja emphasised.
Beyond cleaning the streets, Green Nairobi is also part of a
long-term plan to harness waste for energy.
“We’re establishing a 45-megawatt power plant in Dandora.
The deal is ready, and we already have 200 trucks lined up. This is not just
talk, I stake my re-election on it,” he said.
Sakaja explained that Green Nairobi Company Limited, modelled
after Nairobi Water Company, will be a company wholly owned by Nairobi County.
“It will have a CEO, a professional board, and its own
resources. We’re not just picking people at random—we want experts,” he said.
To support the company’s operations, over 3,500 young men
and women have already been employed and outfitted with new uniforms, forming
visible “green brigades” across city estates and the CBD.
The county has also invested in 24 tippers and 27 garbage
compactors, as part of a broader strategy to ensure both manpower and machinery
are available.
To finance the program sustainably, Sakaja plans to
introduce a cross-subsidy model, where a portion of water bill payments will go
toward garbage collection.
“People pay for security and garbage but often don’t see the
service. We are changing that.”
Addressing critics who have questioned the creation of the company,
Sakaja was unequivocal:
“This is a public company, held in trust by the people. I’m
not foolish enough to create a company to make money. Just like Dishi na County
is feeding children, Green Nairobi will clean our city.”
As Nairobi grapples with a growing waste crisis, Sakaja said the Green Nairobi initiative signals a shift toward structured, modern urban management.
