Nakuru County will get its first medical solid waste incinerator in July, the county public health officer has said. The installation, which was approved by the National Environmental Management Authority (NEMA), has the capacity to handle 40 kilograms per hour of medical waste. The facility will see the medical waste that is produced in the county turn into cement and soda ash. Speaking in his office on Monday, Nakuru county chief public health officer Samuel King’ori said that the project will cost Sh11 million. “We have entered a partnership with Japan who have agreed to have the facility constructed in the area. We are proposing Mai Mahiu as our pilot project,” he said. According to Kingori they would come up with fully enclosed trucks to minimise littering risks when the waste is being transported. “The well combusted waste and clear gas with special technology will enable us to prevent any pollution in the environment,” he noted. The health expert said that they would also build a centre for training of local personnel. “Capacity building in the medical arena is one of our major focus as we intend to ensure that they are well able to handle the whole process,” he said. According to Kingori, the disposal of solid waste including used syringes, blankets and clothes were a major challenge in the hospital.

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