Prime Cabinet Secretary Musalia Mudavadi has sounded the alarm over what he termed a “persistent crisis” in waste management across Kenya’s counties, warning that corruption, inefficiency, and neglect are undermining the promise of devolution.
Speaking during the 2025 Devolution Conference in Homa Bay County, Mudavadi said investigations have uncovered shadowy cartels and corruption networks siphoning public funds through inflated contracts, ghost workers, and illegal dumping. In some areas, he noted, criminal gangs have converted public roads into unauthorized dumping sites, turning waste into a lucrative illicit enterprise while endangering communities with toxins and insecurity.
“This is not mere inefficiency; it is a betrayal of public trust, where the fruits of devolution are diverted from the people to private pockets,” Mudavadi lamented.
Twelve years after devolution began, heaps of uncollected garbage still mar both urban and rural areas, posing severe threats to public health, the environment, and the country’s dignity. The Auditor General’s reports, he said, reveal billions spent on waste management with little to show on the ground.
Mudavadi challenged counties to view garbage not just as a problem but as an opportunity for economic growth. He cited investor proposals to convert organic waste into fertilizer, generate electricity through waste-to-energy plants, and create jobs for youth through recycling cooperatives. However, he regretted that bureaucracy, red tape, and misplaced priorities often stall such initiatives.
He urged counties to invest in treatment plants for hazardous waste, enforce e-waste recycling, and train communities in safe handling, warning that failure to act could lead to toxic contamination, respiratory diseases, and biodiversity loss.
To incentivize better performance, Mudavadi proposed linking waste management outcomes to revenue-sharing formulas, rewarding counties that meet high collection and recycling targets with increased allocations, while sanctioning persistent underperformers. He also suggested national recognition awards like “Green County of the Year” to celebrate leadership in sustainability.
“By rewarding innovation and sanctioning neglect, we can align devolution with equity and justice, ensuring cleaner counties, healthier citizens, and empowered youth,” Mudavadi said.
His remarks come amid growing public frustration over deteriorating waste management services, which remain one of the most visible failures of county governments since the advent of devolution.
