Nairobi County cracks down on illegal dumping and plastic waste as sanitation crisis worsens

KENYA – The Nairobi City County government is intensifying efforts to restore environmental order by threatening to revoke licenses of Community-Based Organisations (CBOs) and private waste service providers involved in illegal dumping.

In a hard-hitting statement, Environment Chief Officer Geoffrey Mosiria warned of dire consequences for operators found disposing of waste at unauthorized sites.

The county’s move follows growing concerns over reckless dumping, which has compromised both environmental and public health in the capital.

“I want to issue a stern warning to all CBOs and private waste collectors: stop dumping waste at illegal sites immediately,” Mosiria said.

“Any operator caught in the act will have their license revoked without further notice.”

In response, the county has launched a city-wide operation to identify and shut down illegal dumpsites.

Nairobi generates over 3,500 tonnes of solid waste daily, most of it organic, but with limited collection capacity following the expiration of contracts with waste firms, the county has resorted to using its own fleet.

This internal capacity shortfall has led to uncollected garbage piling up across the city.

Efforts have also been directed at heavily littered markets such as Gikomba, where county cleaning teams have been deployed to mitigate the worsening sanitation crisis.

In parallel, the county has launched a crackdown on tea and coffee hawkers operating in the Central Business District (CBD), citing the widespread use of disposable cups and single-use plastic bags.

These materials, often discarded without proper disposal, are blamed for clogging drainage systems and worsening urban flooding.

“We have noted with great concern the surge in hawkers using plastic packaging without bins,” Mosiria stated. “These materials end up blocking our drainage, leading to flooding during the rainy season.”

The new policy will require hawkers to shift to designated backstreets like other informal vendors. Several arrests were made during a recent night operation as part of this enforcement campaign.

Furthermore, the county is also going after suppliers of single-use plastics, threatening legal action to stem the inflow of banned materials. New waste bins have been installed across the CBD as part of the mitigation strategy.

Nairobi’s growing waste management crisis echoes past struggles. In 2019, the infamous Dandora dumpsite exceeded capacity, prompting public outcry and temporary reforms.

The current situation, however, demands long-term systemic solutions, including infrastructure upgrades, renewed contracts with ethical waste handlers, and citizen education on responsible disposal.

With over 4,000 tonnes of waste generated daily and increasing flooding incidents, the county’s aggressive clean-up campaign signals a critical turning point in Nairobi’s environmental governance.

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