 We will be staying with us for our conversation or discussion this morning like I had earlier told you. We will be looking into the Nairobi Metropolitan services and this time around we are talking about the waste management. We want to see how the situation was, how things are and where we are headed as a capital city. I will be speaking to all joining me today right now is William Kange. He is the Deputy Director General NMS. He will help us to understand or to put things into perspective, including the fines that has been proposed to 100,000 shillings if you have found a lettering Nairobi. So what happens next send us your comments to all our social media platforms Y24 channel on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Good morning sir. Good morning. Welcome to Y24 TV. Thank you for inviting me. No, I know you are the Deputy Director for the NMS but I would like to give you an opportunity to introduce yourself to our audience and maybe tell them something that personally I do not know or they think that they do not know. Okay, thank you very much for this invitation. My name is Kange Tathuku. I am the Director General of NMS and I want to say that of course I am not new to Nairobi. In 2018 I was the Regional Commissioner in Nairobi. I've been to your studio and generally understand a lot of issues that goes on in Nairobi, particularly on the contentious issues like solid waste management. So today I'm here to talk about a solid waste management campaign, the campaign that we are learning, the innovations that we have brought in so that we can be able to improve these very, very contentious issues of solid waste management and specifically to get Nairobians to buy in our new approach in what we are doing. And I want to start by saying that of course NMS was created through a need of transfer in the 18th March. And among the four major functions that were transferred to NMS environment and that is where solid waste falls in is one of the functions. And I want to say that among the four functions environment is one of the most important if not the most important. And today we have understood that in NMS and we know that now we get Nairobians to work with us. We will not be able to succeed. For example, when we took cover about a thousand tons of garbage was being collected. Right. But then because of the effort that we have put, we are seeing that now we are collected about 3,000 tons. But to remember also of course basically traditionally garbage collection in Nairobi is done through what we call contractors. Right. Currently we have three contractors, that is the contractors, a leader who are given areas to collect in terms of zoning. And as a transfer function we were expecting that some of these contractors will be transferred to NMS. But that not with the study we are doing well. Of course the other areas that contractors have expired for example we have advertised open tender for contracts. All right. We will be getting deep into that because I know there was a problem with contractors according to the reports that are out here in terms of being paid and why Nairobi had continually being that even after having our governor who was there. But now knowing that you drive through the motor of efficiency meeting effectiveness, how was the situation when you came in? You have just mentioned a little bit of it. But now how is the situation now? Because we can see in our eyes but what are some of the achievements you have made so far? Okay. We have done a number of things. One of course we continue working with those contractors. But I say that we have four zones where now we are advertising our own contractors. So we are saying that very soon you will have contractors that you can be able to control. But also say that one of the zones which is very critical which is Talehe. Already we have actually of course in the final stage of actually procuring contractors. We are hoping that once we do that we will be able to get at least ten contractors. And we are hoping that we can be able to ask each contractor to bring us many roles as possible. So we are saying that we are going to increase more efficiency. We are going to increase saturation of these contractors. In addition we are using NOIS remember we are also hiring NOIS trackers. Of course they are playing a very big role. Now in addition to NOIS we are also actually repairing our own tracks. Remember that we were able to repair 83 vehicles using very little money. And some of these 83 vehicles some of them are tracks. So again we are using our own tracks to continually putting our hands together to be able to do that. But also remember that also what we are doing we are actually being creative. One we are brought in the issue of multi agency approach. We are bringing other players and other agencies. For example we are working with Ngaos. Ngaos that is Nairobi National Government Administrative Officers. We are working with the police. We are working with the Nema. So that we can harness our approach in terms of really coming together because each person is playing along. Now in that multi agency approach we have created what is called the World Solid Waste Management Committees. Now these world committees are very inclusive in terms of composition. And therefore we have even the police there. We have the complaint officer. And we are saying that apart from the traditional way of collecting garbage we want to loop in now the residents. And you will find that in those world committees we have even representative of what we call resident associations. You see Nairobi resident are very well organized along with resident association. Now remember that resident association use what we call private service providers. Who they pay to collect the garbage and to take that garbage to the dam site. But previously we found that most of these private providers were actually dumping garbage anyhow. They would dump it along the recordals along the leavers. But now with this committee what we are bringing in the issue now of law and compliance. And that is how we are innovating. And I want to ask Nairobians so that now we are standing Nairobians that if you find somebody dumping the garbage illegally please report through those committees. Now in addition we are using what you calling law, legilations of the virus of the council. A number of laws we want to use. One is for example Nairobi City Council Waste Management Act of 2015. It talks about a number of issues. One of them is that every owner of a house or premise is responsible to ensure that 10 meters radius of a area is clean. Of course there are also penalties on the contravation of some of those things. We are saying for example if you are found dumping you will be contravening one section 36 of the act. And offences ranges from 10000 or even 12 months in prison all the way to 30000 and even repeated offenders are given harsh penalties. In addition we are also using what we call the MK Act. This is an environmental act which is even more harsh. We define the existing have a million. So again we want to combine a lot of things. We want to combine the law. We want to combine the issue of really a voluntarism of Nairobians. And we are asking Nairobians to help us in terms of some of these things. Allow me. You have mentioned the people or persons in the area. I am assuming when you see this you are speaking even to the residents say a place like Makadara or even Pipeline. Is it the responsibility of the tenants or it is the landlord who bears the weight of the disposal management? Basically because I am also a tenant here in Nairobi. So of course the landlord will give you the house. But you see there is an arrangement allowed that particularised it where people come together and agree that since we want to be part and parcel of this environment we will contract a private service provider and actually pay some money for this provider to take garbage, to collect her garbage and dispose it the right way. Now we want to start registering. In the next three months we are registering all these private service providers so that we can be able to set certain legrations for them to follow and even do a campaign and sensitization to inform them that once they collect this garbage they are supposed to take it to the dam site. Again we are saying that if they also contraven the law and that is why we are seeking a registration we will be able to face the penalties also. So it is a very integrated and very unique system that we are adopting. But we are also saying that probably NMS has for example 50% to play in garbage in the nation of environment. But we are also saying that Nairobians have about 50% the way they organise around the collection and the way they also monitor for us to ensure that this garbage is not dumped in the long places. We will also be registering certain areas within the sub county where garbage can be cut away and collected from there. Of course you remember the old system of the bins, the green bins. So we are bringing in that issue of the bins and all that. Apart from that, that is a traditional way of collecting garbage. We are also renovating in other ways for example we are establishing what we call the central composting plant. We will be setting up a central composting plant. I found that we will recycle garbage material as fertilizer and we will of course be working with the Ministry of Agriculture. Second, we are also partnering with Kenjin on the production of energy through recycling of dam site. Now this will be a partnership with Kenjin and what you are doing is part of the diversification strategy because you are moving from traditional method to expand and diversify so that we can be able to really get it right. So we are saying Kenjin of course will have an opportunity to produce power through garbage and what we are going to do ourselves, we are going to provide the site, the rad. Kenjin will be able to provide of course the finances and all that. In the end Kenjin will benefit because they will be selling power to the grid and also NMS will be able to benefit by actually getting an income. Of course we are also coming up with what we call the color coded waste streams. Now color coded is actually a kind of segregation of the garbage and assigning certain colors for certain particular type of garbage. For example green beans will provide green beans for the organic garbage. Of course then again we are going to provide blue for the recyclables and brown for others so that and this will be done through what you are calling material recovery facilities. We will be setting about 17 material recovery facilities in all the sub counties. We have started piloting with one at Kangudo asphalt plant so that through this then in a very small way within those sub counties we can be able to start segregating this garbage even for better management and all that. In that particular case how will the common, what kind of awareness have you created to help a layman to know I'm supposed to dump this kind of litter here and the other not here and there. Thank you. This is part of the campaign, my appearing here but also saying remember we created the word waste management committees and these are local committees where we have even the new makumi we have even the representative of the legislation so we are saying that they are going to conduct their own barazas even within those localities so that we can start of course we are coming up with a very good strategy on a communication strategy where I will be saying this is what you are doing these are the innovations that we are coming up with you are part of and parcel of this so within those localities particularly I want to target the resident association because Nairobi is the one that is allowed this resident association I've always been a member of one wherever I've lived I've been here for a long time in Nairobi so even currently I'm a member of one I live in Mihotikot so we also have one so again when we have this regular meeting then as one of the issues I will be talking about that even as we found this so basically the reach will be wide in terms of what you are doing we are also trying to secure what you are calling and use the queries and land to come up with the land fields that's something that we are looking at and also we are trying to establish what we call solid waste management fund which will be a basket where of course people who are stakeholders in the environment will be able to contribute for example donations grants and even environmental organization and also the government and this is a wider approach in this issue of garbage but really what we are appealing to Nairobians is that traditional method of collecting garbage is not enough even hiring contractors is not enough these contractors can always lay down their tools these people are well informed but you are saying that if Nairobians are involved then they can be part and parcel of this but you are saying that all these approaches we will be able to get a new way of doing things and we are asking Nairobians to go with us to buy into this idea and all that what kind of engagement will you have with the people in the slums because now these are the kinds of people at times they live a careless life if they have to dump they will dump anyway so how are you planning to engage them and teaching them this is the right way to dispose of garbage now remember that we have a big plan of improving life in the slums we are doing mukuru kwa luben we are doing the loads, tamak roads we are doing the sewage system and we have even sank about 200 bohurus litad across Nairobi and all that so that is part of the national hygiene program that you are dealing with now when they have organized it when they have learning water and when they have even good loads even we will be able to come in and identify areas within those informal centrement and provide the green bins so that even our trust can be able to access and the issue has been always accessing accessing this informal centrement you know there are no roads there are no system there and therefore and you see these are very obedient people remember that we are also learning the national hygiene program where Nairobi has employed 56,000 youth to clean their own environments to clean their own areas the government is paying them a daily wage of about 450,000 I mean 450 shenings so that within their localities without even travelling far they can be able to clean these areas so again we have locked them in their pattern parcel of this and even within their nubakumi areas we want to continue with this balaza and all that I want us to take a very short commercial break then when we come back we are looking to how are you planning to look into the population density considering there is also some level of illiteracy for that case and how you are planning to do that we take a very short commercial break we will be back please stay with us thank you we also want to really reach the nubian people wherever they are and tell them that even with less drugs the whole issue is the mindset even with less drugs less personnel if we are pattern parcel of this as nubians then then not with studying we can be able to do it we have set up the first Saturday of every month even moving forward this month of January hoping that by Saturday we will be able to do it so that we can set that Saturday so that nubians can come together every parcel in their own homestay localities they need to get involved in terms of making up and collecting garbage of course that particular day we will be able to go out of our way even to provide more trust and all that and even to bring in more people so basically the other issue is also about a little bit of good management of these contractors and the NMS of course we are doing it we are saying that we will be paying our suppliers and our contractors on time because one of the biggest issue is that these contractors they are not paid on time and what we expect if they are not paid on time and they are putting their resources into this action then of course they have done the tools so these are some of the things we are doing and you see it is multifaceted this approach where you have good financial management in terms of paying in terms of public education to bring in people in terms of forming this small unit of committees in the less than area and also increasing the sources as we move forward so basically that is what we target to do alright if you are just tuning into I-24 TV we are speaking matters Nairobi Metropolitan services one of their vision is to Nairobi being a modern green city so the rehabilitation of Michuki Park and of course we have seen the cleanup that has been done in Nairobi so what do you feel about these NMS services how do you feel the success progress is so fast and as your comments to all our social media platforms I-254 channel Facebook and Twitter to Kange De Tukuhizu Deputy Director General Nairobi Metropolitan services now I understand there will be fines when you speak about the rural flow if people have to follow this and I have some comment here I want us to engage this the argument of this guy called Josayan Yangwachi he said the establishment of an NMS and appointment of the Director General is a good intervention by the national government this was necessary to support the Nairobi County deliver services to its people institutions and business in general such intervention normally require managers who are firm and committed to solving the problems but still on there's another one said you are on the right track however a fine of 200,000 shillings is the perfect recipe for massive corruption his argument is the very reason for police corruption is the unreasonably high traffic offences the very long procedures for paying the fines of the law who refuse to bribe and he goes on to give an example the fines end up in police or Kange pockets not the government so he says 99.9% of the Kenyans can't afford to pay those sort of fines and end up solving the problem the best way they can like I know when I in Kiyanda and Ani I'll pay 200,000 but I have a police here najuani kumfunika macho because this is what happens so do you think this one as he argues is a recipe for corruption first of all we don't need to reach there we may not reach there and we are saying that if Nairobians comply with the law you don't need to be arrested and be fined that amount of money but again of course we are aware from where we are coming from in terms of corruption within enforcement and generally in our system and all that but and that's why we have come up with this committee which is a mutagen's committee so we are not leaving it to the police alone we are not leaving this issue to of course NMS enforcement team because NMS have their own enforcement team we are also not leaving this issue to NEMA and environmental officers but we are saying it is a committee which will have accountability amount itself so that when people are arrested there are no side discussions you've been arrested dumping on the liver on the Leroy Corido you're going to be actually taken in and all that but let me say that also and it's good because you see these are what we call the talent fines you don't have to be arrested and therefore the issue of whether the fines are big or not is neither here nor there so if you don't want to be arrested and pay that fine please just comply do the right thing and this is possible and all that but again that's how we are taking care of corruption within individual agencies doing it alone but again we are telling the Robians you really don't have to be arrested and you don't have to be fined now with all these grand plans to make Nairobi a green city or to make Nairobi great again so to speak what are some of the key challenges and policies that you have faced and what is being done about it of course we are great of course we are green in Nairobi and we have started with a number of parts we are doing even Jiva J making it even a better so that people can go there and relax anytime during lunch hour you can go to Michuki Park and relax there there's a lot of trees and green so that people and we are asking people really to go there and be able to benefit from some of these green areas but also we have come up with about we will be rehabilitated in 17 other green spaces in every sub county we are looking for a green area so that Nairobi is now we are saying it's not just on alone and therefore that's a program that we are doing of course we have put a number of resources into that so that our city is really a green city in the sun now with the relocation of our bus terminers there's one that has been moved to Reilu is a club and next to it is Uhuru Park what is the safety of Uhuru Park in the next one year knowing that people are lighting from the state terminers there they will pass through Reilu is maybe coming up here how safe will be or how will be the situation of Uhuru Park in the next few months to come I want to say that there will be no interference because you see the government was able to acquire the space where you are taking the green park where you have that parking and you will be shifting once it's complete you will be shifting the Reilu terminal to the green park of course there is a clear demarcation and separation between that particular terminal and Uhuru Park and we will do our best to make sure that there will be no interference but even within the green park terminal that you are creating of course there will also be a bit of greening the question is how well do we manage it so that we avoid that interference now there will be an NMT from the green park to the city so that once people are dropped there they can be able to work and you want to be able to work within some of these NMTs where they can work in the last way so I don't see any interference with Uhuru Park as a green space after all remember that Uhuru Park if people go to Uhuru Park to the last and sometimes even the population can be very high there so again there will be no interference with that type of ecosystem that one can assure you we are speaking of solid management and at times we could speak of the drainage in Nairobi always gets worse we are told of the rains that will continue in this particular month what is the plan for the NMS on the drainage of Nairobi because Mugmi to some extent these leaders block the gut as what happens what is your plan on the drainage of Nairobi ya it's true that there has been the issue of drainage because of the blockage but you realize that actually most of this drainage trenches exist and the issue is the continuous management of those trenches remember that we are also doing the CBD roads we are really carpeting the roads and one of the things that we will be addressing even as we do all this exactly to constantly and consistently open these drains remember that even the modern highways which are coming up of course in Nairobi we have Nairobi expressway the issue of drainage will be well addressed if you take a walk to the green park you will see that we have really input the issue of drainage so that we don't want to take a shortcut and therefore we are saying that most of this most of this project that are coming up and we have several terminals which are coming up of course we have the park road, the design and all that those things those terminals will be taken care of in terms of drainage but basically we are saying that continuous management of these drains and really opening them up and avoiding the crockage and all that maybe as we conclude we saw the burning of plastic bags but now we still have a problem with plastic bottles partnering with other companies and maybe say Kenya Association of Manufacturers and other companies and the name itself what is your plan on this can we foresee where we will not be using plastic bottles coming in the near future now we will not we will not allow the use of plastic bottles, something that is the current government policy the issue is policing and I'm saying that of course that partnership with those agents that you have mentioned so again even at this world level kind of coordination some of those issues will be discussed some of those issues will be addressed of course the issue of the compliance of law will be used but I don't see our shares going back to where we are you remember how choked this environment was with this plastic bag so I don't see us going back there and we are part of that team that will be each one of that should the plastic bottles be banned as well let me say that that is something that is being discussed something that is being discussed and I don't want to comment about that because the debate has not been concluded but also remember that some of these things are done gradually so that we also don't completely break the business process so again the foundation which is under discussion alright I thank you so much I will give you an opportunity to give us your final recommendation and speak to the young people especially when you are speaking of the solid waste management what is the role of the young people this will be your camera I want to appeal to Nairobians and particularly the young people we have created we have formed this world solid waste management committees and I want to ask them that they become part and parcel of this remember that we have been doing the the informal sentiment hygiene program so we want to ask you to be part and parcel of that to be in the forefront actually in terms of garbage collection we also want to ask you to form to be part of this what you call private service providers so that you are the ones getting this small contract to collect the garbage but even aiming higher in terms of getting this big contract contracts and help us it's only young people who can be able to understand this of course we are also saying the older, the senior citizens so I want to appeal to you so that you are sisters you help us we go together in terms of putting our hands together and being part and parcel of that Nairobi alone, NMS alone cannot be able to collect garbage yes we will hire trucks we will pay these contractors but we are saying that Nairobians are the ones who are going to help us win this war again as I mentioned we have isolated one day the first Saturday of the month so I want to ask Nairobians when we announce and you are hoping to start the first on this December please join us so that in our own localities we can get involved in this one important day to collect garbage but generally getting involved particularly the residential positions getting involved in this world solid waste management committees get to know what is happening there please manage manage the private service provided well because they are working for you and again please report to us those who are dumping garbage in the leavers in the roadside in the little corridor that is my appeal to Nairobians thank you very much alright thank you sir for coming and speaking to our audience out there Nairobi and services you are doing a good job majority of us if not all are seeing you good work and we are hoping that you will continue and back home thank you so much for staying with us and keeping us company he has been my guest kanyethi thuku deputy director general Nairobi metropolitan services from here we will be taking a very short break when I come back it matters career please stay with us and continue sending as your comments to all our social media platforms where to first channel Facebook and Twitter see you in a bit am Dereva Hilavi good morning