Organic Solid Waste: A Possible Key to Urban Food Security in Kenyan Slums

A Sack Garden in Kibera Slum

Solid waste management in many urban areas in Kenya has been chaotic. The effort by many urban authorities charged with the responsibility of managing these wastes has not been such successful. Huge dumps of solid wastes are being seen by the roadside, riversides, lakesides, and even adjacent to residential houses. The negligent disposal of these waste has posed numerous environmental and health problem that affect not only the human but also other plants and animals. These solid wastes have resulted in blocked sewers, offer breeding grounds for pest and parasites such as rats and mosquitoes, air pollution when carelessly burned or bad odor emitted, and water pollution when washed into rivers and lakes.

As illustrated by the NEMA 2015 report, most of the generated wastes remain uncollected due to poor waste collection and disposal systems. Apart from Nairobi that has made efforts to collect about 80% of waste generated daily, other major towns still lag behind. As Mombasa only collects about 65%, Eldoret collects only 55% of the waste generated daily.  Kisumu collects about 20% of waste total waste it generates daily. On a daily basis hundreds of tones are being generated in Kenyan towns. As Nairobi generates 2,400 tons of waste daily, Nakuru, Mombasa, Eldoret, and Kisumu, generates 400 tones, 2,200 tones, 600 tones, and 400 tons respectively per day.

According to NEMA 2015 report, more than 50% of solid wastes generated in Nairobi and about 63% of solid wastes generated in Kisumu are organic. In Eldoret 49% of solid wastes generated are foods. As 60% of solid wastes generated in Mombasa are organic, 51% of solid wastes generated in Nakuru are food. This is a clear indication that more than half of the wastes generated in these towns are organic and when effectively utilized, it can solve other numerous health, economic and social problems. These urban organic wastes when effectively composted into manure, they can be used solve the food insecurity prevalent in urban slums. The unemployment, low levels of income, high dependence ratio, high food prices, illness, and big household sizes have immensely contributed to high food insecurity.  As the slum residents eat barely for survival, the quality of food is least of their concern. This has forced the slums residents to resort to reducing the number of meals, scavenging, eating street foods, and reducing food variety and quality as a coping strategy.

Slums such Mathare and Kibera in Nairobi, Bangladesh and Owino Uhuru in Mombasa, Bondeni and Rhoda in Nakuru, Langas and Huruma in Eldoret, and Manyatta and Obunga in Kisumu can turn around organic solid waste into gold when properly composed and used for urban farming. As the move will help reduce organic waste, that constitutes more that 50% of the total solid waste generated in these urban towns, cleaner and greener environment shall be realized. In the same course, urban farming will help solve other problems such as offering employment, subsidized the high food costs, and improved food quality. When urban farming is well practiced by using well-decomposed manure, cheaper and fresh food can be availed to slum dwellers. The urban farming is currently being practiced in sacks and open spaces. In Kibera, the residents have used sack gardens to grow fresh kale, spinach, tomatoes, onions, vegetables, and arrowroot.

Sample of Unsegregated Organic Waste

Even though urban farming is being practiced in these slums, it is still at a minute scale.

What is it that has been holding back the use of organic solid water for agriculture? Health concerns and poor segregation of solid wastes at the source are the key challenges facing the adoption of organic solid water for agriculture. Foods from urban farming have been feared for contamination as some are grown in pitiable places such as along the sewers. In some cases, urban farmers have been accused of using sewers to grow crops. The soils in these slums may also be contaminated and these contaminants may pose a great health risk when consumed by the residents. In these slums, there is no waste segregation and this leaves everything mixed up, therefore, making it difficult to isolate organic wastes from other solid wastes.

Even though there are legitimate health concerns that need to be addressed, organic solid waste can be safely used for urban farming when adequate control measures are practiced. The coordination between environmental, health and agriculture departments is crucial for the design of effective preventive and mitigating strategies that will mitigate health risk. Urban farming requires health consideration during zoning to identify areas where certain types of farming are allowed or excluded as this will ensure that only safe crops are produced for consumption. The urban farmers require education on health and environmental risks to substantially reduce such risks. Contaminated organic waste should be avoided by encouraging widespread separation at source as this will lead to sufficient high-quality compost. To obtain good quality compost there will be a need for the co-operation among several stakeholders. Education and promotion through demonstration projects, exhibitions, workshops, information brochures, and focus meetings are also necessary. Training, extension services, and technical advice should be provided to these urban producers particularly on ecological farming practices, farm development, proper health risks management, space intensive and water saving technologies, enterprise management and marketing. 

Sample of Segregated Organic Waste

The county government should put strategies within their solid waste management strategic plans in place to composting of organic waste. Access to low-cost water inputs and essential infrastructure should also be enhanced to urban farmers. The urban farmers ought to have a strong organization for them to have channel and power to influence their needs. This can make them properly represent their interest during urban policymaking and planning at the different levels.

Conclusively, the potential marriage between solid waste reduction and urban farming will not only lead to better health through enhanced nutrition and incomes but also create a cleaner and better environment. Since the composted organic matter contributes to better urban solid waste reduction and waste management, compost-making should be ameliorated. Even though the chronic poverty within the slums has deeply intertwined the crisis, urban farming from organic manure can help offer some solutions. This is a perfect case where when one problem (organic solid waste) is properly handled, several other problems also get addressed (food insecurity, poverty, and unemployment).

Kachok Dumpsite and Its Challenges

A Section of Kachok Dumpsite, Kisumu

The existing state of Kachok dumpsite is an indication of the present solid waste management problem in Kisumu. The dumpsite that measures approximately 3 acres is surrounded by a stadium, a supermarket, a hotel, schools, and estates. With the 400 tons of waste that Kisumu city generates per day, only 80 tons (20%) get delivered to the dumpsite. The waste generation of the city expands at 6-12% annually. As 60-65% of the wastes are organic in character, 10.2% constitute plastic wastes. Solid Waste Management is one of the development challenges facing the County Government and residents of Kisumu. Even though previous attempts to resolve the nuisance have failed, the county government is currently putting structures in place to resolve the matter.
The solid waste problem in the city has been propelled by illegal dumping, ineffective laws on littering, failure garbage management (collection, transportation, recovery, and disposal) systems, as well as low public awareness. Since most (80%) of the solid wastes in Kisumu remain uncollected, the wastes have resulted into blocked sewers, the spread of infectious diseases, pollution of Lake Victoria, and litter in the streets. These wastes have also resulted in a great air and water pollution. As litters and dust get blown away by the wind, smoke from burning and odors fill the air. When it rains the leachate and even some waste get washed to the Lake Victoria. The dumpsite also offers a good breeding ground for pests such as rats.
Challenges
The solid waste management problem is not only limited to Kisumu, it is a problem affecting nearly all urban areas in Kenya. The present waste management Kenya has been compounded by increased urbanization. Urbanization and industrialization have increased waste generation and made the waste streams complex. Even though laws and policies on waste management exist, poor implementation and weak practices have made several towns being chocked by their own waste thus impacting the environment and public health. The previous local authorities that were mandated to manage these waste failed to prioritize the institution of appropriate waste management and this led to meager resource allocation. Also, the councils were short of technical and institutional capacities in waste management.
Just like other towns, waste management in Kisumu faces a number of challenges such as inefficient waste management systems, inadequate technical and financial resources, limited knowledge, poor attitude and practices, and lack of political will. With limited awareness and knowledge of the benefit of a clean and healthy environment, most residents have poor practices in relation to waste management that has led to littering, illegal dumping as well as open burning. Politics and waste management appear to go hand in hand. Political goodwill is essential for the success of good waste management. Regrettably, the inadequate prioritization of waste management agenda has lead to pitiable investments and funding. This has therefore hampered waste management cycle from the collection, transportation, and disposal.
Even though the county governments are mandated to allocate waste disposal sites or facilities in their areas of jurisdiction, the availability of land for such purposes still remains a challenge. Communities have been seen opposing the relocation of Kachok dumpsite to their backyard majorly because of poor management of the current sites. Consequently, many dumpsites have been sited in environmentally sensitive areas like wetlands, river banks, and forests. High poverty level witnessed in informal like Manyatta, Obunga, and Nyalenda have hindered the residents to pay for waste management services.  These areas also inaccessible and usually lack waste management infrastructure. Inadequate technical skill in waste management has seen waste management facilities poorly managed and failed to operate at optimal capacities
Cumulatively, the current waste management being witnessed in major towns is in a poor state. According to NEMA 2014 report, most Kenyan town and cities have ineffective waste collection and disposal systems. As Nairobi only collects about 80% of the 2,400 tons of waste generated daily, Nakuru only collects 45% of the 400 tons of waste generated per day. Mombasa only collects about 65% of the 2,200 tons and Eldoret collects only 55% of the 600 tons of waste generated daily. In Kisumu, only about 20% of the 400 tons of waste generated daily is collected. This leaves Kisumu as the major town with the least effort to manage its waste.
Way Forward and Opportunities
As waste materials are linked to economic development, they represent wasted money in their original cost, disposal, and potential value when recycled and reused. As a result, the County Government has adopted the Integrated Sustainable Waste Management policy as a way of achieving better and more sustainable solutions to the problem that has existed for a long time. Even though the decommissioning plans of Kachok dumpsite are underway, getting a suitable relocation area has also been a challenge due to considerations such as surface and groundwater, public health, soil structure, cultural asset, services and utilities, community resistance as well as bird hazard.
There is a need for new management approaches such as adopting new technology, social attitude change, viewing waste as an economic resource, and adopting a conducive legal framework. As the new technology will help in water disposal, social attitude change will focus on waste minimization and even sorting at source. Through reuses and recycling, waste is a good economic resource. There is a need to rethink and revise the existing laws with the aim of encouraging partnerships with private sectors. There is also need to involve external development partners and investors that can pump in additional financial resources toward effective waste management.
There is a need to encourage social and environmental entrepreneurs to step up and assist in the management of such wastes like in the recently held Taka Taka Challenge. The Taka Taka Challenge organized by the Social Business Incubator (SBI) has indicated that waste management is a problem in Kisumu and the residence can use waste to create wealth economically. The challenge saw the first prize winner, Continental Renewable Energy Co, getting financed to recycle plastic waters into building materials such as fencing posts, roofing tiles, and manhole covers. The second prize winner, Taka Feed Moto, received finance to use organic waste to make fuel briquettes, animal feeds, scrapped biogas, and manure. The third prize winner, IPWA Taka Park, got financed to create a central waste sorting, bailing, bulking, and storage center. Even though the management of solid waste is still a great challenge, there are still opportunities.