Counties

Mombasa hires more garbage collection trucks

mombasa

A county truck collects garbage in Mshomoroni. PHOTO | KEVIN ODIT | NMG

The county government has added six more garbage collection trucks as part of efforts to rid the city of filth.

The move came after hoteliers expressed concern over the piling up of garbage in the city at a time when the high tourist season begins next month.

Yesterday, communications director Richard Chacha said the county had hired six more trucks to supplement the cleaning department in the collection of garbage across the city.

“Apart from the trucks which collect garbage daily in the town, each of the six constituencies will receive one more truck each to assist in the collection of waste,” he said.

Mr Chacha assured Mombasa residents, hoteliers and the business community that the county would keep the town clean.

However, he called on town dwellers and community collectors to place the garbage at designated areas for collection and disposal at the Mwakirunge dumpsite.

Mr Chacha warned against littering the city.

“It is an irresponsible behaviour for town dwellers to dump waste on road reserves and public areas. Those messing up the town will be prosecuted,” he said.

“While it’s the responsibility of the county to collect garbage, motorists and pedestrians should stop throwing empty bottles and polythene bags in the streets.”

Last week, Kenya Association of Hotelkeepers and Caterers Coast branch executive officer Sam Ikwaye said Mombasa, a tourism hub, was filthy due to piles of uncollected garbage.

He said the mounds of garbage dumped on the road reserves and public areas in the town were an eyesore and was making life miserable for locals and visitors.

“In every corner of the town you travel, you are hit by the sickening smell of rotting garbage or sewage emptied into the storm-water drainage system,” he said.