A 10-megawatt power plant is under construction in Kibra targeting to utilise the thousands of tones of solid waste from the area to generate electricity.
The project that seeks to offer a lasting solution to the garbage menace in the slummy area also targets to recycle wastewater that would be supplied to locals for domestic use. Kibra is the biggest slums in Kenya and ranks among the largest informal settlement globally.
With a population of about two million, waste disposal is one of the biggest challenges facing the area, making the community here susceptible to diseases.
To offer a lasting solution to the garbage menace, Asticom, a Kenyan company that specialises in waste recycling, has secured Sh102 million to finance construction of a 10-megawatt power plant in the area whose groundbreaking is slated for mid-2018.
Upon completion, the power plant is expected to supply power for residents who live within a radius of one kilometer. The firm has partnered with residents to collect and sort garbage in the garbage which is estimated at 132 tonnes daily.
The project has sparked environmental and health concerns but officials from the County Government of Nairobi say they are keen on ensuring the waste recycling project does not make by-products that could be toxic.