Taka Taka ni Mali (TTNM) has been appointed as Kenya’s ambassador to the International Solid Waste Association (ISWA).
Speaking at the just concluded ISWA 2024 Conference held in South Africa, TTNM Founder Mary Ngechu said the appointment presents Kenya with a valuable opportunity to enhance the country’s waste management efforts by working with global experts and introducing innovative solutions to improve efficiency in the sector.
“Engaging with global leaders at ISWA and moreso at this conference presents an invaluable opportunity to tackle these issues and adopt proven solutions that can transform waste in to wealth for a sustainable future. I’m particularly eager to explore how technology can be used for data collection and the essential infrastructures we can implement as a community to drive smarter decision-making in solid waste management,” said Ngechu.
According to the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) Kenya generates an estimated 22,000tonnes of waste daily, with urban areas like Nairobi contributing 2,400 tonnes.
However, only 45-50pc of this waste is collected and properly managed, largely due to inadequate infrastructure for waste collection and disposal.
“While the community has made strides in promoting proper waste management, the sector remains largely unregulated, posing significant challenges to the effectiveness of policies like Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR),” she stated.
Kenya has been challenged to enhance education and capacity building in waste management to ensure sustainability and job creation.
“Solid waste management provides a massive opportunity to bridge the unemployment gap if stakeholders can come together to initiate structured systems for proper waste collection and recycling,” said East Africa Business Council CEO Adrian Raphael Njau.
Kenya Alliance of Resident Associations (KARA) CEO, Henry Ochieng further emphasized the urgent need to address poor waste management in the region.
“We recognize the severe impact it has on both the environment and the economy. Engaging with global leaders in waste management gives us the chance to adopt innovative techniques that can revolutionize the sector within the East African Community. We are ready to embrace change and elevate our region’s socioeconomic standing,” he added.
ISWA projects global municipal solid waste, to rise from 2.1 billion tonnes in 2023 to 3.8 billion tonnes by 2050.
