Stakeholders join hands to ensure proper disposal of waste

By Njambi Gakaho

The Laikipia Wildlife Forum (LWF) is supporting Water Resource Management Authority, National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA) and Nyahururu Water Users Association in putting up billboards in common dumping areas of Nyahururu to warn residents that they risk being prosecuted if found dumping in undesignated dumping sites.

The main aim of this initiative is to ensure that garbage dumping in residential areas of Nyahururu decreases.

Nyahururu area has continued to receive heavy rainfall in the past few weeks. The heavy rainfall has led to flooding in some areas and a lot of run-off. The flowing water carries so much garbage, some of which end up in the rivers particularly Gathaara river.

Most of the garbage is basically plastic bags which have become synonymous with Kenyan waste. Since the debate on banning low gauge plastic bags always create a negative reaction, the key question is, how will Kenyans free their environment from plastic waste?

Most of the plastic bags are issued for free to customers in supermarkets, shops and other consumer outlets. Some environmentalists are currently of the opinion that putting a price on plastic bags could encourage shoppers to recycle them.

While some residential areas like Co-site estate have many open dump sites, the erected billboard in the area is expected to ensure that the residents will dump cautiously and in the long run the residential areas are bound to improve into better and clean environment.

It is clear that there is need for a plastic bag management policy. This would help in ensuring that plastic bag waste is minimized in the environment.  Meanwhile, residents of Nyahururu town should continuously be sensitized against dumping of garbage as improper garbage disposal can lead to health and environmental problems.