Coast

Kwale residents, KWS and county officials partner in town cleanup

Kwale County residents take part in a cleanup exercise in Kwale town on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

By Mishi Gongo | Sunday, June 30, 2024

The exercise, organised by Kwale Municipality and conducted in Kwale town and its environs, aimed to ensure market centres, streets, hospitals, and other public spaces were hygienic.

To rid their environment of plastic waste, Kwale County residents joined Kenya Wildlife Services and county officials on Saturday in a cleaning exercise dubbed "Mazingira Yangu Jukumu Langu (My Environment, My Responsibility)".

The exercise, organised by Kwale Municipality and conducted in Kwale town and its environs, aimed to ensure market centres, streets, hospitals, and other public spaces were hygienic.

Kwale County residents are pictured during a cleanup exercise in Kwale town on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

Plastic pollution is a major challenge in the world, choking marine wildlife, damaging soil, and poisoning groundwater, all of which have serious health impacts.

The participants cleared the streets of Kwale town and extended the exercise to the Kwale County headquarters. The unclogged calvats, cleared bushes and collected litter.

"This is not a one-time exercise. We want to adopt this initiative by setting a day every month where we go clean our residences," said Kwale Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, who led the exercise. "Cleanliness should not be a practice but a habit."

Kwale County residents, led by Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, clean up Kwale town and its environs on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

Chirema urged residents and business people to take personal initiative to keep the town clean, saying this was for their own good and asked the municipality to organise cleanups with the help of groups in different areas.

Kwale County residents, led by Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, clean up Kwale town and its environs on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

Resident Meswalehe Salim said one of their reasons for undertaking the exercise was to curb malaria outbreaks.

"Because of the rains, we have had malaria outbreaks. Bushes and stagnant water provide the perfect breeding ground for mosquitoes so we had to clear them."

Kwale County residents clean up Kwale town and its environs on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

KWS Senior Warden Kwale Pauline Okode called upon residents to conduct regular clean-ups and properly dispose of garbage to ensure the environment remains clean and to fight the climate crisis.

"The plastic we are disposing of in the environment affects wild animals and marine life. Let us take it upon ourselves to keep our environment clean."

Kwale County residents, led by Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, clean up Kwale town and its environs on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

Noting that cleanliness is everyone's responsibility, Tsimba Golini MCA Mwachuo Mwaboza promised to purchase cleaning tools like slashers and wheelbarrows.

"Let's engage all groups in the area in this exercise to make sure we cover every place," he said.

Kwale County residents, led by Deputy Governor Chirema Kombo, clean up Kwale town and its environs on June 29, 2024. (Photo: Mishi Gongo/EV)

In attendance were also county executives, Municipal Manager Amina Mwanawani, Board Chairman Seif Bendera, matatu transport association officials, scouts, representatives from the Precious Women's Group and the Kenya Red Cross Society, and conservationists.