The implementation of the Solid Waste Management Bill and E-Waste strategy will go a long way to creating job opportunities for the youths and people with disabilities.
According to the Deputy Director, Climate Change at the Ministry of Environment Augustine Kenduiyo, the bill which is currently at the public participation stage also provides for several measures that will subsequently ensure a zero waste nation.
Speaking during the public participation forum for North Rift region at the Rift Valley Technical Training Institute (RVTTI) in Eldoret town on Tuesday, Kenduiyo said the bill provides for take-back schemes for products that cannot be recycled.
“We want to ensure that whatever is produced, if not recycled we take it back to the source. The bill also emphasizes on issues of recycling and reuse of waste, minimum waste that move into land and separation of waste from the source,” said Kenduiyo who played a key role in the drafting of the Bill and strategy.
“There is a lot of opportunities in solid waste management. It provides job opportunities for our youths and women even people living with disabilities. This policy and bill will guide the processes of ensuring we have zero waste, and where we have waste, then we’re able to turn into opportunities to create jobs,” he added.
The bill and the strategy will also put in place mechanisms on the electronic waste management which Kenduiyo points out that will also be of benefit to counties, given the fact that waste management is a devolved function.
“Electronic waste management has never had any form of coordination in terms of its management and the bill, policy, and strategy will come in handy to even enable the county governments to manage the electronic waste in their areas,” he noted.
Data from the Ministry of Environment indicates that each person in the country generates an average of about 0.5 kilograms of waste daily which translates to over 20 million tons of waste daily.
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