Eastleigh garbage pile-up, the new headache in city

By: Fuad Abdirahman

Garbage pile-up in Eastleigh suburb of Nairobi City, Nairobi.

A new menace is building up in Nairobi’s Eastleigh suburb but this time round it is not about the known police harassment.  Solid waste, which largely constitutes of wasted food is now filled up along the streets of Eastliegh. Other waste includes plastic bags, tires, both plastic bottles and glass. Some are hazardous items and may cause a health effects.  The residents are constantly complaining about bad stench caused by the refuse.

The waste is scatters inappropriate locations and in some instances car tyres may catch fires resulting emissions of chemicals and compounds that may cause a respiratory illness to the locals. The commercial town has one of worst drainage systems and when there is rain, the hurdle intensifies forcing locals to remain indoors.

The business community of Eastleigh has on many occasions tried to contain the situations, but as it is now it’s getting out of hand. In one of the roundabout in Eastleigh, nearby commercial buildings have reportedly took the initiative of maintaining the roundabout. Now it is a breathtaking, contrary to most Eastleigh eyesores. There is a call for other profit making companies in the area to do the same.

Eastleigh is one of the biggest commercial hubs in Nairobi and it is one of the largest contributors to the economy of city council of Nairobi. In 2012,  Eastleigh accounted for around 30 percent of the county revenue and despite this there is nothing to show for it.

The county government of Nairobi is reported to have done zero projects in Eastleigh despite the commercial significance. Elected leaders are also not talking about hazardous garbage all over in Eastleigh.

Living in Eastleigh is now proving to be difficult—the police regularly conduct impromptu swoop in the area rounding up people they claim are illegal immigrants. During such exercises even Kenyan citizens of Somali ethnicity are caught their possession of the nationality cards notwithstanding. Calls by business community to cleanup has yielded no fruits.

A group of activist based in Eastleigh have threatened to take to the streets to pressure the county government to intervene.