NAIROBI, Kenya — Nairobi City County has announced plans to overhaul its waste management system by appointing a single contractor to handle garbage collection, transportation, and processing across the capital, in a move aimed at addressing mounting environmental and public health concerns.
City Hall said the new approach will replace the current model, where multiple companies manage waste in different zones, a system county officials say has struggled to keep pace with rising waste volumes.
Under the new arrangement, the contractor will collect all municipal waste and transport it to a centralised processing plant with a daily capacity of 3,200 tonnes. The facility is expected to serve as the backbone of the county’s long-term waste management strategy.
While construction of the processing plant is ongoing, the contractor will continue collecting waste and ferrying it to the Dandora dumpsite.
City Hall said the contractor will also take over management of the dumpsite during the transition period.
“While the processing plant is under construction, the contractor shall continue to provide uninterrupted waste collection services and transport the collected waste to the existing Dandora dumpsite, which the contractor shall also manage, operate, and maintain to world-class environmental, health, and safety standards,” the county said in a statement.
The scope of work extends beyond waste collection. The contractor will control access to the Dandora facility, organise traffic flow, compact waste, and implement fire prevention and safety measures within the dumpsite.
In addition, the firm will carry out mechanised street sweeping across the city, empty litter bins, and install new bins where required. Existing service providers will be integrated into the solid waste management value chain rather than excluded.
“The contractor will undertake routine mechanised street sweeping, litter bin emptying, and installation of additional litter bins across the city as shall be guided by the procuring entity, integration of existing service providers in the solid waste management value chain, and closure and rehabilitation of existing illegal dumpsites across the county,” City Hall said.
Nairobi, which hosts an estimated 5.8 million residents during the day, generates thousands of tonnes of waste daily.
Rapid urbanisation, population growth, and weak enforcement have worsened the strain on existing systems, leading to frequent pile-ups of uncollected garbage in estates, markets, and road reserves.
County officials warned that poor waste handling has caused serious environmental damage. They cited air pollution from open burning, contamination of surface and groundwater, and health risks linked to unmanaged dumpsites.
“This has created severe environmental nuisance and degradation with regard to air pollution, surface and groundwater contamination, posing immense threats to the quality of life in the city and its environs,” the county said.
The new model will be implemented under the Integrated Solid Waste Management System, anchored in the Sustainable Solid Waste Management Act of 2022. City Hall said the initiative seeks to align waste handling with constitutional standards.
The Constitution guarantees every Kenyan the right to a clean and healthy environment, a provision the county says has been undermined by years of ineffective waste management.
“To address this inadequate solid waste management and in accordance with the constitutional guarantee to every citizen on access to a clean and healthy environment, Nairobi City County Government wishes to initiate an Integrated Solid Waste Management System to ensure a clean and healthy environment in the county,” the statement said.
City Hall said further details on procurement and timelines will be communicated as the process advances.
