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| Governor Sakaja || Photo credit || Courtesy |
Nairobi's Conservancy Fee
In a bid to boost waste management, Nairobi Governor Hon. Johnson Sakaja has announced plans to introduce a conservancy fee to support solid waste management services across the city. The governor revealed that the fee will be added to the bills administered by the Water Services Regulatory Board and coordinated by the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company. There has been an ongoing operation and maintenance of waste collection vehicles. The governor said that this fee will help in the maintenance of these vehicles, purchase new equipment, and drive sustainable garbage management efforts. For a very long time, the city has struggled to maintain garbage management.
What you need to know about the Fee
The fee is not a national tax, but it will be included in the water bills once the necessary approvals are completed. The move does not in any way represent a transfer of duties from the county to the national government. Under the country's system of devolution, services such as waste management remain a county's function. The county, however, may work closely with national institutions to implement the fee. This cooperation should not be confused with a handover of powers.
The intention is to create a dependable stream of revenue for waste services rather than relying on ad hoc funding. Governor Sakaja recalled that earlier, Nairobi's utility bills used to include a solid waste component, but it was later removed. This, therefore, is a gap the conservancy fee seeks to fill, Sakaja said.
How the Situation is Currently
Currently, residents pay a combination of charges, including water usage, sewerage fees, fixed meter rent, and VAT. With the addition of the conservancy fee, city residents should expect a rise in their monthly charges.
The governor further reiterated the need for the county to pursue partnerships with both the private sector and the national government. The move is aimed at improving waste collection outcomes and revenue generation. Plans include enhancing public education on proper waste disposal and boosting recycling efforts. The governor said the city is targeting a shift from treating garbage as a cost to exploring opportunities where waste becomes an income stream.
Sanitation Reforms
This development comes amid broader sanitation reforms in the capital. Recently, the national government announced a joint initiative with the Nairobi County government to tackle the city's long-standing garbage problem. The national problem, beginning in April, is expected to prioritize organized waste collection, recycling, and community engagement to keep streets cleaner and reduce environmental health risks.
Nairobi has been working on formalizing its integrated solid waste management approach, empasizing on coordination across collection, disposal, recycling, and public engagement.
Sustainable Waste Management Act 2022
This legislation mandates circular waste practices and encourages recycling systems. The act further supports extended producer responsibility (EPR), which requires manufacturers to support waste recovery systems. Nairobi is slowly transitioning from a linear model to a circular model that emphasizes reuse and recycling and resource recovery. The initiatives include a study to map waste streams and inform reforms, establish material recovery facilities and better recycling infrastructure across subcounties, and dialogue with parties like the Kenya Climate Innovation Centre and Kenya Industrial Research Development Institute to build data-driven systems.
Sanitation and River Pollution Interventions
The sewerage coverage in the city's informal settlements is being expanded by the Nairobi Inclusive Sanitation Improvement Project. It seeks to establish proper transfer points for solid waste, helping address the disposal of waste into sewer systems.
Nairobi Rivers and Riparian Clean-Up
When the president took office, he pledged to work on the restoration of the Nairobi River. The Nairobi Rivers Commission coordinates basin-wide solid and liquid waste removal, dredging, and avoidance of industrial discharges into waterways.
Institutional and Operational Reforms
The county has shifted from a fragmented waste management system to a centralized waste collection model. The capital's administration has recruited thousands of sanitation workers on permanent terms to strengthen frontline garbage and street cleaning capacity.
Conclusion
This conservancy is the right move by the county government as it seeks to address the management of waste in the capital. This fee does not signal a loss of authority by the county government, since it is a county-led revenue measure. The fee marks a significant shift in how the county plans to finance waste management services. While this move seeks to establish a stable funding mechanism for garbage collection, recycling, and environmental sanitation, it raises critical questions about affordability, service delivery, and transparency. The success of the new levy will be judged by visible improvements on the ground.
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