Nairobi: Historic Jacaranda grounds slowly sinking in waste

Concern is growing over the persistent littering of the popular Jacaranda grounds in Nairobi’s Embakasi area.

Residents are accusing hawkers and members of the public of turning the public ground into a dumping site.

Jacaranda grounds is frequently used for leisure, sports, political and community gatherings. It is also here that the famous Bunge la Wananchi conducts its ‘house’ business daily.

A trip to the grounds shows a field dotted with sugarcane peels, abandoned plastic bottles, polythene bags, food containers and weather-beaten packaging materials.

Local officials say that smalltime businesses operating near the grounds are partly to blame, for failing to provide disposal materials making customers to discard waste irresponsibly.

According to residents, the situation has worsened in recent months, especially during weekends when business activity hits a crescendo.

“We always wake up to piles of garbage and litter every morning,” said Jude Monga’re, who lives near the grounds.

“Many people come here to rest and enjoy, especially on weekends, but their joy is often taken away because of the garbage,” said Monga’re.

Residents now want the Nairobi County government and local leaders to warn against littering at the grounds and promote sound waste management.

The residents told Wananchi Reporting that only a fraction of waste is formally collected in the areas bordering Jacaranda grounds, with the rest usually ending up in the open spaces, on the roadside, in drainage lines, open manholes and illegal dumpsites.