NAKURU, Kenya – National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Director General Mamo Boru has urged Kenyans to take greater responsibility for managing their waste, emphasizing that environmental conservation begins with individual actions.
Speaking at the 7th Editors Guild Annual Convention on Friday, Boru highlighted the pressing need for a cultural shift in how citizens handle waste, warning that negligence has significant consequences for the environment.
Boru recounted a troubling incident he witnessed on his way to the event: a motorist casually rolling down their window to discard trash onto the roadside.
“We must take responsibility and manage our waste,” he said, stressing that such behavior undermines collective efforts to preserve the environment.
According to Boru, Kenyans generate an average of 0.5 kilograms of waste daily, amounting to a staggering 500,000 tonnes every day.
Despite 60% of this waste being organic, Kenya lacks the infrastructure to process it efficiently, such as an organic waste plant.
Meanwhile, 30% of waste is recyclable, and 10% consists of electronic waste, much of which ends up in unregulated dumping sites.
“This is our environment, our life, and our responsibility,” Boru said, calling for action to address the mounting waste problem.
Boru urged the media to prioritize environmental issues in their reporting, noting that such topics rarely make front-page news despite their critical importance.
“What we lack is citizen action. The media should amplify this,” he said, adding that environmental degradation and climate change pose existential threats to farmers, pastoralists, and ecosystems across the country.
The call for action comes as Kenyan civil society groups, including the Centre for Environment Justice and Development and Heinrich Böll Foundation, intensify their push for African leaders to address the global plastic crisis.
With global plastic production exceeding 400 million tonnes annually, less than 10% is recycled, leaving vast quantities to harm ecosystems and biodiversity.
The groups are advocating for a legally binding treaty to curb plastic production and eliminate hazardous chemicals in plastics, particularly to protect vulnerable populations like women waste pickers, who make up nearly half of this workforce in Kenya.
Boru also highlighted the legal challenges NEMA faces, citing 362 ongoing cases against the agency, many of which he described as frivolous and a drain on resources.
“Kenyans being litigious people, some of these cases are a waste of court time,” he said, calling for a more collaborative approach to environmental conservation.
Speaking at the 7th Editors Guild Annual Convention on Friday, Boru highlighted the pressing need for a cultural shift in how citizens handle waste, warning that negligence has significant consequences for the environment.
Boru recounted a troubling incident he witnessed on his way to the event: a motorist casually rolling down their window to discard trash onto the roadside.
“We must take responsibility and manage our waste,” he said, stressing that such behavior undermines collective efforts to preserve the environment.
According to Boru, Kenyans generate an average of 0.5 kilograms of waste daily, amounting to a staggering 500,000 tonnes every day.
Despite 60% of this waste being organic, Kenya lacks the infrastructure to process it efficiently, such as an organic waste plant.
Meanwhile, 30% of waste is recyclable, and 10% consists of electronic waste, much of which ends up in unregulated dumping sites.
“This is our environment, our life, and our responsibility,” Boru said, calling for action to address the mounting waste problem.
Boru urged the media to prioritize environmental issues in their reporting, noting that such topics rarely make front-page news despite their critical importance.
“What we lack is citizen action. The media should amplify this,” he said, adding that environmental degradation and climate change pose existential threats to farmers, pastoralists, and ecosystems across the country.
The call for action comes as Kenyan civil society groups, including the Centre for Environment Justice and Development and Heinrich Böll Foundation, intensify their push for African leaders to address the global plastic crisis.
With global plastic production exceeding 400 million tonnes annually, less than 10% is recycled, leaving vast quantities to harm ecosystems and biodiversity.
The groups are advocating for a legally binding treaty to curb plastic production and eliminate hazardous chemicals in plastics, particularly to protect vulnerable populations like women waste pickers, who make up nearly half of this workforce in Kenya.
Boru also highlighted the legal challenges NEMA faces, citing 362 ongoing cases against the agency, many of which he described as frivolous and a drain on resources.
“Kenyans being litigious people, some of these cases are a waste of court time,” he said, calling for a more collaborative approach to environmental conservation.
