Fun and joy took centre stage in Kisii on Sunday as residents joined environmentalists, government officials and development partners to celebrate World Cleanup Day — a global campaign that placed cleanliness and responsible waste management at the heart of the festivities.

The celebrations at the Agricultural Training Centre (ATC) Grounds also showcased the transformation of the notorious Nyambera dumpsite in the heart of Kisii Municipality into a green recreational park.

The former dumpsite, which for years stood amid homes, schools, hospitals and businesses, was decommissioned by the county government in partnership with the National Environment Management Authority (Nema).

Governor Paul Simba Arati said the transformation demonstrated what could be achieved when waste was treated as a resource rather than a nuisance.

“Where a mountain of garbage once stood, there is a green recreational park where the people of Kisii walk, rest and breathe clean air,” Arati said.

Kisii was selected by UN-Habitat and the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change to host Kenya’s national celebrations, held under the theme “From Clean Plates to Clean Cities.”

The event brought together UN-Habitat Director for East and Horn of Africa Ishaku Maitumbi, Controller of Budget Margaret Nyakang’o, Broadcasting and Telecommunications Principal Secretary Stephen Isaboke, Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko and Nema Director-General Mamo B Mamo, among other officials.

Mr Arati used the occasion to warn that poorly managed waste disposal sites could turn into deadly hazards.

He cited the collapse of the Kiteezi landfill in Kampala, Uganda, in August 2024, which killed at least 35 people, as well as a landfill disaster in Conakry, Guinea, in August this year, where 36 people reportedly died after heavy rains triggered the collapse of a major waste facility.

“These were not natural disasters. These were consequences of warnings ignored,” Arati said.

He said Kisii could have faced a similar tragedy had the county failed to act on the Nyambera dumpsite.

Kisii Municipality generates an estimated 200 tonnes of waste every day, with the amount rising on market days, according to the governor.

About 60 per cent of the waste is organic, but much of it ends up buried because of inadequate separation at source.

The county has established a Materials Recovery Facility at the Kisii Agricultural Training Centre with support from the UK Government through the Sustainable Urban Economic Development (SUED) programme.

The facility can process up to 50 tonnes of waste daily, including through a Black Soldier Fly unit capable of handling 10 tonnes of organic waste and converting it into animal feed and organic fertiliser.

A weighbridge has also been installed to help the county collect data on waste generation and disposal.

Arati said previous efforts to relocate the dumpsite had faced resistance from residents in areas such as Etora in Bobasi and Nyatieko in Kitutu Chache South.

The county therefore shifted its approach from simply relocating waste to demonstrating its economic value.

It is now expanding waste collection and recovery through colour-coded bins and enforcement of waste segregation at source.

Under the system demonstrated during the celebrations, green bins are designated for organic waste, blue for recyclable dry waste and black for non-recyclable general waste.

Nema also trained waste service providers from 12 zones in the county on waste recovery and segregation, while the Taka Ni Mali Group demonstrated composting.

The county has further introduced the Kazi Mashinani programme, which engages youth and women in regular clean-up exercises and drainage maintenance.

Arati said about 2,000 people are engaged every month on a rotational basis, with the programme expected to provide income opportunities to about 24,000 residents by next year.

The county government has also invested in truck-mounted skip loaders and colour-coded bins and is finalising policies and by-laws aimed at strengthening the circular economy.

Mr Arati said the county planned to prosecute waste management offenders through the Municipal Court, with revenue generated from penalties channelled into public education.

He also invited investors to explore waste-to-energy, commercial composting, paper manufacturing and recyclable-materials value addition, saying the county was prepared to offer concessions for sustainable waste management projects.

Migori Governor Ochilo Ayacko’s participation, Arati said, underlined the need for counties in the Lake Region to work together in tackling the growing waste management challenge.