BY GILBERT KOECH
The Council of Governors has admitted that counties are struggling with waste management.
CoG’s environment and climate change chairperson Wilber Ottichilo said they are seeking to work closely with partners in the industry to come up with a clear, comprehensive and integrated approach to manage waste.
“The biggest challenge we have as county governments is that we are dealing with a society that does not know how to manage waste,” he said. Ottichilo spoke on Tuesday during the second Africa Waste is Wealth Conference 2024.
The conference was organised by TakaTaka Ni Mali, ALN Kenya, FlipFlopi and East African Business Council. It presented a unique opportunity to showcase the region’s achievements and support of the proposed East African Plastic Policy Bill.
The conference also discussed sustainable waste management approaches and a circular approach, strategies on a regional approach to EPR regulations and outlined future steps for continued progress.
Even though the country has waste management laws and regulations, implementing them is a major challenge.
Ottichilo said there is need for the private sector to step in and help address some of the challenges.
He said the other big challenge is that residents are rejecting dumpsites near them. National Environment Management Authority director general Mamo Mamo said every citizen must play a role in sustainable waste management.
He said there is a need to segregate waste at source to make recycling easy. Kenya, being a member of the high ambition Coalition to End plastic pollution, needs to look at global efforts to address the triple planetary crisis.
“Let’s collaborate and strengthen our partnership within the East African Community,” Mamo said.
“I wish to reiterate our commitment to work with all stakeholders in East Africa. Let’s have a community-led waste management solution.”
UK Deputy High Commissioner Leigh Stubblefield said Kenya sent a strong signal of intent to the world through the ban of single-use plastic bags, the use of single-use plastics in national parks and passing of the Solid Waste Management Act in 2022.
She said the next step is implementation and Kenya has UK’s full support.
“The UK plays an active role in the circular economy agenda at the global policy level, we play a role in the Intergovernmental Committee on plastic pollution. We’re proud of the role UK’s Ellen MacArthur Foundation plays in driving forward a stakeholder approach to reducing plastic pollution,” Stubblefield said.
She said UK is keen to provide further support to Kenya and partners in implementing existing regulations at national and county level.
Kenya Private Sector Alliance CEO Carole Kariuki said plans are in place to launch East Africa waste management coalition that will be domiciled at Kepsa.
Kariuki said the alliance aims to address shared waste management challenges across East Africa by fostering collaboration between governments, the private sector, academia and civil society.
It will also tackle pressing issues such as plastic pollution, promote recycling efforts and inspire innovation in waste management.
Unilever Kenya, Tanzania and Rwanda managing director Luck Ochieng said they have partnered with Mr Green Africa to address waste challenges.
Mr Green Africa buys plastics waste from waste pickers, recycles them into pellets