Nakuru is the cleanest city as Nairobi chokes in garbage — Report

Nairobi City's solid waste management is the poorest among the country's five cities, with the Johnson Sakaja-led administration only able to collect just a third of all garbage produced.

On the other hand, Susan Kihika’s Nakuru City recorded the highest among the five, with the Kenya National Bureau of Statistics (KNBS) 2026 Economic Survey showing the administration collected almost two-thirds of the refuse generated last year.

“Waste collection gaps continue to exist, with proportions of waste collected being lowest in Nairobi City, at 33.2 per cent, while Nakuru County had the highest proportion of waste collected at 67.0 per cent during the review,” the report notes.

Tonnage of waste generated in Nairobi and Mombasa counties in the review period increased by 12.1 and 1.2 per cent, respectively, while waste generated from Uasin Gishu and Kisumu counties increased by 2.1 and 1.6 per cent, respectively.

In 2025, Nairobi generated 1 277,500 tonnes of solid waste but only collected 424.4 tonnes, while Mombasa generated 1, 060,000 with about half of the same at 550 tonnes collected.

Kisumu generated 235.4 tonnes of waste but only collected 70.62 tonnes, Nakuru recorded 870 tonnes of garbage and managed to collect 583 tonnes with Eldoret generating 240 tonnes against the collection of 39.1 tonnes.

The reports highlight the changes cities are facing in ensuring effective solid waste collection, which is essential for safeguarding public health and the environment.

In February, President William Ruto announced that the national government will collaborate with the Nairobi County and residents to find a lasting solution to the city’s long-standing garbage and waste management challenges.

The initiative will focus on streamlining garbage collection, promoting waste recycling, and engaging communities to foster a shared responsibility for the city’s sanitation.

In the same February, the county announced that it was entering into a deal with a Ghanaian firm, Zoomlion Ghana Limited, to handle the solid waste business for 25 years.

However, the high court temporarily put on hold the implementation of the contract for the design, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of an integrated solid waste management system, following a case filed by a resident Jeremy Kinyua Emilio.

Nairobi City County is also mulling a new tax (Conservation Levy) to be incorporated in the monthly water bills, as it seeks to raise Sh5 billion annually to fund the solid waste management programme.