Landlords in Nakuru estates and community based business centres have been told to provide dustbins in their rental houses and commercial buildings to boost sanitation and waste collection. A new youth group in the area dedicated to sensitizing the community on hygiene and environmental conservation issues says that careless damping of waste in the area is rampant and a threat to public health and environmental conservation. The coordinator of Green and Clean Nakuru (GCN)Jacob Ombima while talking to this writer on Thursday at Mariakani business centre in the area said his group was concerned about the unhygienic manner in which local tenants and landlords were handling waste. He said that most landlords instruct tenants to dump waste near the gates on particular days when waste collectors come but have not provided permanent dustbins for tenants to damp waste. Ombima who hopes that his twenty-member group will get sponsors to spearhead sanitation, public health and environmental protection advocacy in Nakuru argued that irresponsible handling of waste is a threat to public health as well as to the environment. “We have noted with a lot of concern the poor handling of waste in this area among others in Nakuru.We want to spread the message of good hygiene and environmental protection. The landlords must give direction and install dustbins,’’ he said. He added that through public forums and media materials, the group will aim at sensitizing the whole of Nakuru town residents on proper handling of waste materials. Ombima observed that children for example stumble across harmful waste like used contraceptive devises and sanitary towels from poorly managed waste disposal systems. He added that other harmful material like polythene paper, drugs among others are not environmentally friendly. Ombima also said that important personal or business information can leak to crooks when waste is not properly handled.

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