Nairobi County turns to new firm for garbage collection

For years, Nairobi residents have endured uncollected waste, with garbage cartels controlling much of the city’s waste management system.

Now, the county government is set to introduce a new publicly owned waste collection firm, Green Nairobi Limited, aiming to streamline operations and curb corruption.

But the move has sparked heated debates over legality, financial transparency, and the impact on private contractors.

The firm, set to begin operations next month, will take over waste collection in the newly established borough units across the city. Green Nairobi Limited will have its fleet of trucks and compactors, and residents will be introduced to new tariffs for garbage collection and disposal.

The appointment of a chief executive officer and board members is expected in the coming weeks.

Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja defended the initiative, saying it would operate similarly to the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company to enhance efficiency.

He cited persistent challenges in the sector, including private firms profiting at the expense of service delivery.

The governor added that the number of companies handling garbage collection in Nairobi has dropped from 68 to 10 in the past two years.

Records from the Registrar of Companies show that the Nairobi County Government holds the majority stake in Green Nairobi Limited, with 4,850 shares.

The remaining shares are distributed among directors, each holding 50 shares. The listed directors include County Ministers Maureen Njeri (Green Nairobi), Charles Kerich (Finance), County Secretary Godfrey Akumali, Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria, and Chief Officer for Finance Asha Abdi.

Despite the county’s assurance that the new entity will improve waste management, the plan has faced strong opposition from several Members of the County Assembly (MCAs), who argue that due process was not followed.

Nairobi South MCA Waithera Chege criticized the county’s approach, saying public participation was not conducted before the company’s registration.

“He has not carried out any public participation. Sometimes, Nairobi residents have no issue paying more, but they want to see the results. But since he took over, he has not shown willingness to deliver with a budget of Sh43 billion,” Waithera said.

She also questioned the governance structure of the firm, arguing that listing specific officeholders as directors could lead to frequent changes whenever county leadership is reshuffled.

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“If you put the names on that CR12, and then he does a reshuffle, does it mean he will be going to the Registrar of Companies to change the names?” she posed.

Kariobangi North MCA Joel Munuve warned that the new company could be a ploy to fully control a sector worth Sh1.8 billion annually.

“They did not want the whole issue to be brought out that way. They wanted to sneak it into the Assembly,” Munuve claimed, alleging that the initiative was rushed without proper consultation.

However, Umoja 1 MCA Mark Mugambi supported the plan, arguing that the county could no longer afford to pay private garbage contractors.

“This is the way to go because, at the moment, a huge chunk of revenue goes to paying garbage contractors, leaving development with almost zero budget. To me, this is not privatizing but turning it into a parastatal that will generate its own revenue,” he said.

Audit report concerns

Even as the county government pushes for the new waste management strategy, concerns over financial accountability persist.

A report by the Controller of Budget for the 2023/2024 financial year has flagged irregularities in garbage collection expenditures.

The audit reviewed payments amounting to Sh72.9 million for the hire of heavy machinery at the Dandora Dumpsite in April 2023 and identified several anomalies.

The report found that the contract, signed on April 18, 2023, had already been billed for work supposedly done on April 17, before the agreement was in place.

The audit further questioned the authenticity of billing records, noting that some equipment appeared to have operated non-stop for full shifts, with no recorded downtimes for refueling or driver breaks.

“These machines worked non-stop per shift, casting doubt on the authenticity of the records, given that there were no downtimes recorded for refueling or even the drivers taking a break at any point,” the report stated.

In January, the county launched 24 new refuse compactor trucks at City Hall, with Governor Sakaja announcing plans to deploy an additional 200 trucks to strengthen waste collection. Currently, the county employs 3,500 “Green Army” workers tasked with cleaning the city.

The Economic Survey 2024 reveals that Nairobi generated 1,191,500 tonnes of garbage in 2023, up from 1,095,000 tonnes in 2022.

While collection rates improved, with 1,025,200 tonnes gathered in 2023 compared to 813,500 tonnes the previous year, a significant portion of waste remains uncollected.

In 2022, the city produced approximately 3,000 tonnes of solid waste daily, yet only 2,200 tonnes were collected, leaving 26 percent of garbage uncollected.

A World Bank report notes that 20 percent of Nairobi’s waste consists of plastic, and only 45 percent is recycled, reused, or repurposed.