Moja Expressway, the company tasked with maintaining the Nairobi Expressway, has stated that it will be rolling out a framework to fine motorists caught littering the elevated highway.
Speaking on Thursday, July 14, the company’s Head of Communications noted that the team was developing the measurement to curb the rampant vice.
The new measurements are expected to help the management spot the specific road users who litter the Expressway and how they will be punished. “At the moment, there are measures that are being put in place to ensure that these people are caught. As we do that, the toll management and road safety department is working on measures because at the end of the day, we are a road service and these people need to be punished by the officials in charge of littering and maintenance.
“We understand that there is littering and we are coming up with measures to prevent that by imposing fines for motorists who litter the Expressway,” she stated.
She also indicated that for now, the management had partnered with traffic police officials to maintain law and order on the Ksh88 billion stretch.
“We are partnering with the traffic police and are helping us maintain Law and Order. If the need arises for us to work with other agencies, especially when it comes to littering and maintenance, we are definitely open to that offer,” she added.
The matter was first raised by the government spokesperson, Col (Rtd) Cyrus Oguna, who claimed that the issue was becoming rampant.
Litter was spotted along the road with waste products from empty plastic water bottles, empty yoghurt packets to banana peels.
“Should it bother you that we litter everywhere with everything, from the pavements, streets, empty spaces, drainage, playgrounds, roads, and now the new infrastructure? We literally litter everywhere.
“It is unfortunate that as majestic, and as new as it is, the Nairobi Expressway is slowly beginning to receive its share of litter from empty plastic water bottles, empty yoghurt packets to banana peels,” the spokesperson stated.
The Kenyan government has previously maintained a hard stance against littering and illegal dumping across the country.
According to the Sustainable Waste Management Bill signed into law by President Uhuru Kenyatta on Thursday, July 7, Kenyans who fail to manage waste would be liable to a fine not less than Ksh2 million but not exceeding Ksh4 million or an imprisonment term of not less than 4 years.
The new law stipulates that any Kenyan who fails to manage waste properly would be required to clean the site and restore it to its original state failure to which the government will prescribe the charges.
So serious was the issue that when the Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) took over Nairobi city’s leadership, it set up a dedicated team to enforce regulations meant to curb illegal dumping and littering.