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Kenya gets Sh2b grant from France

NAIROBI, Kenya, Jul 16 – The French Government on Thursday granted Kenya close to Sh2 billion for solid waste management projects in Mombasa and Nakuru.

Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Local Government Musalia Mudavadi while flagging off three solid waste management vehicles also said the funding would be used to clean dumpsites and generating energy from the waste.

“We are trying to work with partners like this so that we can improve our solid waste management and be able to look at the future where we can tap energy because our traditional way of hydro is overburdened,” he said.

He noted that management of solid waste was a serious challenge in the country yet a threat to health and natural resources such as water and soils.

He linked the mismanagement of waste to the ongoing water shortage facing residents in urban areas.

“I m personally concerned that the local authorities can only manage to collect and transport 50 percent of the waste generated in their areas of jurisdiction, and even if collected and transported mode of disposal remains open dumps,” he said.

Mr Mudavadi said the French grant through the Agence Française Development (AFD) was a positive gesture that if replicated in other areas will reduce pollution through waste and also provide a new source of energy.

The Minister said hydro energy sources were overstretched and stressed on the importance for more energy sources.

He said the Dandora Dumpsite in Nairobi can provide about 60 megawatts of energy through the solid waste management project.

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The Deputy Prime Minister said the Local Government Ministry will soon be inviting the private sector start a waste management project on the Dandora dumpsite.

Citing the water crisis in Nairobi, Mr Mudavadi said the Nairobi Water Company will soon hold an Annual General Meeting to address the long time water irregularities in Nairobi.

He said the meeting was likely to realise new management to tackle the water problem.

“There is going to be an AGM, it may require a lot of re-organisation of the board for the Nairobi Water Company and indeed it will go further and affect the management so that we can have more efficiency in delivery of water services,” he said.

Mr Mudavadi said the water shortage was not only as a result of destruction of the water catchment areas but also as a result of irregular constructions that had overloaded the water system.

He said it will however be corrected through proper planning.

The local authority is only a board member after the law transferred water services to the Ministry of Water and Irrigation.

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