By Nairobi County GPS.
The Nairobi City County Government has reached an agreement with two international agencies to address industrial pollution.
The deal, signed with the Danish Environment Protection Agency and the 2030 Water Resources Group, an affiliate wing of the World Bank, will see Nairobi’s solid waste better managed and sanitation in the city improved drastically.
The Thursday agreement comes a few weeks to the Water and Sanitation Conference 2019 at the Kenyatta International Conference Center.
The three parties met at City Hall on Thursday morning.
They said the partnership is beneficial to Nairobi residents, who are the biggest winners.
“Nairobi residents are some of the most hardworking in the world and they deserve an environment that will make them healthy,” said Sonko.
Danish Head of Division at the Environment Protection Agency, Annette Samuelsen, said Denmark is willing to work with Nairobi in implementing modern solid waste management systems and dealing with industrial waste.
“We are looking forward to this future cooperation that will be of great value in dealing with water pollution and challenges related to industrial waste,” she said.
Water Resources Management specialist, who is also the Kenya Country Coordinator for the 2030 Water Resource Group, Joy Busolo, hailed the new partnership saying the fact that the private sector will also come on board to better manage that water resources in the city is a major step in the right direction.
She said Nairobi will benefit by learning how to sustainably treat industrial effluent at source and having a decentralized system of water treatment.
Busolo said the private sector will be brought on board under the Kenya Industrial Water Alliance umbrella.
Environment Executive Vesca Kangogo said the partnership will boost ongoing efforts by the County Government in dealing with pollution of Nairobi River and industrial effluent in general.
She said the county already has a solid waste management strategic plan but is still willing to explore a more structured approach in dealing with environmental challenges.
“We are adapting wisely to some of these approaches and I believe having such partnerships only make our efforts more efficient,” Vesca said.
Sonko, who has won several international awards due to his humanitarian efforts, has insisted on having a healthy County, which he said is the foundation on which Nairobi’s success will be built.
The partnership between the three parties will see more funds pumped into the county to boost ongoing programs on solid waste management and industrial waste.
Nairobi generates about 400 million liters of waste per day.
However, the two treatment plants in Ruai and Kariobangi have the capacity to deal with 192 million liters per day.
The parties agreed that they will bring on board all stakeholders to ensure that the issue is addressed collectively.
The meeting was also attended by Mr. Michael Rasmussen, the Strategic Cooperation program manager at the Dannish Ministry of Environment, Jacob Fink Ferdinand, the Green Growth Counsellor Royal at the Dannish Embassy and Melchior Eisher, the project officer Kenya Industrial Water Alliance.
Sonko said: “As leaders, we have to be mindful of the people we serve. We have to ensure they stay healthy and wise.”