Kitengela residents cry foul over garbage menace

By , K24 Digital
On Fri, 29 Dec, 2023 18:17 | 2 mins read
Kitengela town
Garbage Kitengela town. PHOTO/Christine Musa

Kitengela town residents are grappling with uncollected strewn garbage that has turned an eye sore in the town.

Foul stench characterized the populous town especially the market area with traders raising concerns over looming waterborne diseases if the menace continues.

Agitated locals who have been reduced to trade fresh produce and foodstuffs besides the heaps of garbage further say the unbearable environment has kept off customers.

Heaps of garbage in Kitengela.
Heaps of garbage in Kitengela. PHOTO/Christine Musa

The traders blame the county government for failure to timely collect the garbage despite collecting daily cess without delays.

"We are losing customers because of the uncollected garbage and choking foul smell. We pay the required Ksh30 daily but we are not seeing the value. The rotting garbage is a ticking time bomb and we fear the outbreak of cholera," Patrick Mureithi, a vendor at the Kitengela market, said.

The cry comes in the wake of Kitengela being a municipality clocking one year and three months.

Locals say they are yet to see any significant development associated with municipalities.

"We expected the elevation of Kitengela town to a municipality to come with notable development. We are shocked that it has come with loads of dirt instead. The road network has also not been improved whatsoever," Ann Nduku, a resident, said.

The county government recently also launched the Mazingira unit, a body meant to oversee and enforce general environmental hygiene but the town remains in a hazardous sorry state.

A spot check indicates that one of the vehicles used to collect garbage has been deserted for months in one of the garages.

The other vehicle remains parked at the Municipality's parking lot.

Related Topics