The fast development, sometimes uncontrolled has continued to put much pressure on land. The Olekajiado County Council (OCC) has not been able to meet the demands of the growing population and human activities. As such, its mandate is hard to meet and deliver essential services particularly in the Management of solid waste.
The OCC is however engaging in Public-Private Partnership (PPPs) initiatives to address and overcome some of these challenges. For instance, outsourcing of garbage collection has been undertaken in Kitengela and other areas. The initiative has not been able to curb the problem.
Over the last 5 years, the key towns in the county, namely Kitengela, Ongata Rongai, Kiserian and Ngong have witnessed rapid development activities due their proximity to the Nairobi city. This has in return put a lot of pressure not only on land but also on health due to increased waste disposal rates. The Kajiado County has not been able to effectively address the problem which affects a population of over 240,000 residents.
Kenya Projects Organization (KENPRO) is in the process of drawing an action-plan-driven framework on Solid Waste Management to address the issue of deficiency in solid waste management in Ongata Rongai, Kiserian, Ngong and Kitengela Townships.
Active participation of local government representatives, key corporate organisations, community based organisations, colleges and universities is expected to yield positive results in addressing solid waste menace in the major towns of Kajiado County.
By Anthony M. Wanjohi