Environmental conservationists in Malindi town, Kilifi County, have taken their monthly clean-up exercise at the Malindi International Airport and its environs as one way of clearing the fly path of birds and also boosting tourism.
In the most recent cleanup exercise, the Progressive Welfare Association of Malindi (PWAM) members joined Malindi primary school learners, Malindi airport staff, Kenya police, Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS), Naivas Supermarket staff and other organizations in cleaning garbage along the airport fence where they collected 578 kilogrammes of general and plastic wastes.
Speaking to journalists after the exercise, PWAM chairperson Cate Mwikali said that they had discovered that most residents residing in the Kisumu Ndogo area, along the airport fence, were dumping household waste at the fence, which attracted birds that might cause air traffic disruption at the runway.
“There are very many illegal dumpsites along the airport runway fence, and the pockets of illegal dumpsites in that area are dangerous and sensitive and will affect the flight path. We told some people to join the cleanup exercise in the area, but some refused, saying that they were sick,” she said.
He added that the essence of the clean-up exercise at the airport was also to promote and attract tourists through a clean environment, and also boost investor confidence in the area.
“We’ve seen a lot of improvement since we started the cleanup initiative, and we have achieved 50 per cent, and more needs to be done. What I want to urge Kenyans is that cleaning the environment is not a responsibility of the government, but it all starts with us,” she added.
Already, an Italian consortium has pledged to invest Sh. 5 billion in the expansion of the Malindi International Airport runway from the current 1.5 kilometres to 2.5 kilometres, but is awaiting government approval and compensation for people residing on the project site.
One Damaris, a grade nine learner at Malindi Primary School, which is located next to the airport in the Kisumu Ndogo area, said that they had been sensitised about cleanliness and waste management by PWAM and that they were now environmental ambassadors in the area.
“I am very happy to join this exercise, and the garbage affects our health and makes our hospitals always full of people with problems associated with a dirty environment,” she said.
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Paul Mulati, an employee at Naivas Supermarket in Malindi, stated that people in Kisumu Ndogo were now more aware of environmental conservation.
“Cleanliness of the environment starts with yourself, and if you take care of it, you will also benefit. People were reluctant, but they are slowly embracing cleanliness,” he said.
The Malindi Sub County Environment Officer, Lenox Mwangolo, stated that the county government has been collecting garbage in Kisumu Ndogo; however, residents have been turning to dumping garbage along the airport fence instead of the designated collection sites, highlighting the need for increased sensitisation.
“We have realized that there are a lot of illegal dumpsites along the airport fence and this is due to that there are no access roads to the area but I am confident we shall open up the area through the roads department so that we also reach those residents who stay very close to the airport because they are not putting garbage at the designated areas for collection,” said Mwangolo.
By Nehemiah Okwembah
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