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Concerns as Eastleigh's roundabout turned into dumping site

Garbage dumped along a roundabout opposite Equity Bank in the Shah Maan area in Eastleigh, Nairobi. (Photo: Abdirahman Khalif)

By Abdirahman Khalif | 22 Apr 2024

Residents suspect that the discarded waste originates from other areas, as it is often found inside gunny bags.

Residents of the Shah Maan area in Eastleigh are expressing growing concerns over the deteriorating condition of a roundabout opposite Equity Bank, fearing it may soon transform into a dumping site.

What was once a well-maintained roundabout along Second Avenue has become a breeding ground for garbage, causing distress to locals and motorists alike.

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In recent months, the roundabout has been plagued by garbage, mostly dumped during the night under the cover of darkness.

Residents suspect that the discarded waste originates from other areas, as it is often found inside gunny bags.

Ismail Hussein, a taxi driver who frequents the degraded area, lamented the hazardous conditions posed by the garbage.

"Your tyre can be pierced by fragments of broken pieces of glass while driving around the roundabout. It is dangerous," Hussein remarked, echoing the sentiments of many other affected motorists.

The stench emanating from the accumulating rubbish has further compounded and affected the lives of residents and pedestrians in this area.

Mursal Ibrahim, who works in one of the restaurants near the roundabout, expressed frustration over the persistent foul odour. Mursal finds it challenging to endure the smell, adding that other pedestrians and motorists feel the discomfort too.

"I am really suffering from the smell of this garbage. Nairobi County needs to rescue us," Ibrahim pleaded and asked Governor Johnson Sakaja’s administration to act swiftly and take decisive action.

Moreover, the garbage mess has attracted street families who have turned the area into their habitation, aided by the lack of streetlights.

"They are a source of insecurity. They can do anything in the dark," lamented Fadhil Onyango, who works at a car wash near the area.

Restaurants around this area donate food to these street children as they close for the night. Subsequently, the street families dump the plastic bags and other leftovers at the roundabout, rather than in dust bins.

Last month, the Eastleigh Voice reported the poor state of the street lights around this area. Little has been done since then to repair the lights or erect new ones to enhance security in the busy Eastleigh trade centre within Kamukunji Constituency.

In March of this year, the County Government of Nairobi, the Mazingira Movement, and local community members embarked on a thorough cleanup campaign in Eastleigh. Starting with Muratina Road, the team cleaned the area, all the way to General Wariungi Street and Yusuf Haji Road.

Among the concerns raised by the team was that Eastleigh lacks suitable locations for installing bins.

"Nobody wants a collection point to be established near their premises, and we lack sufficient dustbins," Vivian Moraa, the Eastleigh North Ward environmental officer told the Eastleigh Voice.