In July the Sustainable Waste Management Act made it law to separate all organic waste and put it in biodegradable bags.
Kenya lingers a long way behind countries like South Korea in separating domestic garbage. Soon households will be legally obliged to separate organic, electric and general waste into separate bags.
In particular, organic waste is very valuable because it can easily be turned into compost that can enrich fields and flowerbeds. Nairobi has sufficient organic waste to fill the disused quarries all around the city. These stagnant quarries can then become parks or rich farmland.
The National Environment Management Authority has now got bogged down in the issue of whether the compostable bags should be manufactured locally or abroad. This is blocking a positive initiative with unnecessary bureaucratic overkill.
Nema, Nairobi county, and the national government just need to instruct garbage collection companies that all organic waste should be separated into green biodegradable bags. It will then be up to the garbage companies to acquire the bags, whether manufactured locally or outside the country.
We should not let bureaucracy hamper a positive initiative by government.
Quote of the day: "Life is not a destination, but a journey. Embrace the detours and enjoy the scenery along the way."
Samuel de Champlain
The French explorer was born on August 13, 1567
