Archive | 2019
Sustainable solid waste management: An appraisal of institutional limitations
Abstract
This study investigates the underlying factors elucidating why solid waste\xa0management in Eldoret Town, Kenya, has up to now remained inadequate\xa0notwithstanding the existing legal framework that mandates the County\xa0Government of Uasin Gishu to ensure that all residents have access to a clean\xa0and healthy environment. The study adopted a descriptive research design. While,\xa0primary data were collected through field photography and a questionnaire\xa0administered to the Director of Environment and Enforcement, secondary data\xa0was obtained from the County Government publications and reports. The study findings indicated that the reasons why the County Government of Uasin Gishu\xa0was not successfully discharging its statutory mandate included understaffing,\xa0low education level of technical staff, lack of an adequate number of receptacles,\xa0irregular solid waste collection, inadequate number of transportation vehicles,\xa0limited prioritization in the funding of solid waste management and a scarcity\xa0in the engagement of stakeholders. Key recommendations included preparing\xa0a comprehensive staff establishment policy that includes succession planning,\xa0prioritizing solid waste management within the annual development planning,\xa0regular solid waste collection, incorporating system approach to solid waste\xa0management, and adoption of smart waste management through the integration\xa0of Geographic Information Systems and remote sensing. This paper contributes\xa0to the international debate on urban management by critically investigating the\xa0institutional barriers towards solid waste management.