Kenya: government plans to move killer dumpsite

Environment minister Professor Kibutha Kibwana has directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and Nairobi City Council to prepare a programme for relocating the notoroius Dandora Municipal Dump Site and report back to him within three months. The minister was speaking at St John Catholic Church, Korogocho, last week when he addressed a delegation from Inter-religious Committee for the Dandora Anti-Dump Site Campaign. NEMA director general, Muusya Mwinzi, Assistant town clerk Geoffrey Katsoley and Embakai District Officer Adan Noor Muhhamed also attended the function. Prof Kibwana said that the dumpsite posed a serious health threat to over one million people and that was evident from the high number of pharmacies around the area. "Nobody really wants to live there. Everybody agrees that we must move the dumpsite. Even the young people at the dumpsite have told me that they want the site moved but they need to be accommodated in the process" said the minister who had earlier visited the infamous dumpsite and talked to people working there. The minister said that a multicultural committee of different government ministries has been set up to come up with sustainable solution to the Dandora Dumpsite problem involving even the local community. "A cabinet paper is also being prepared to establish short, medium and long term solutions to the Dandora Dumpsite problem and solid waste management in the whole country." Speaking at the same forum, Fr Daniel Moschetti of St John Catholic church, Korogocho and Pastor Erastus Muthee from the Dandora Pastors Fellowship said that the Inter-religious Committee was concerned about the security and health problems associated with the dumpsite and had a dream to develop recreational facilities, vocational training centres and health centres at the location when the site was moved. But addressing the press soon after the meeting, Nairobi deputy mayor Ferdinand Waititu who had earlier apologized to the affected residents over the dumpsite said the Dandora Dumpsite would continue to operate since the council did not have an alternative. " We don't want to create another dumpsite somewhere else," he said. Source: CISA