1.1 Background of the Study
Kenya’s waste management projects have existed for over 40 years now starting with strategic programs/initiatives that encouraged both the rural and urban individuals to come up with pit latrines and waste dug pins to control dumping of garbage. Since time immemorial the responsibility of initiating and managing projects that are geared towards collecting and disposing of solid and liquid waste are charged to Kenya local authorities within their area of jurisdiction (GoK, 2012a). Estimates from UNEP and the World Resource Institute (2009) in developing countries numerous local authorities spend 30% budget allocation for waste collection and discarding however they only manage to collect about 50% to 70% municipal solid waste. Another report by the United Nations (2013) shows that, in East Africa, only 30% of the various waste management initiatives have positively benefited the local communities specifically in Rwanda whereas 70% of these projects have left many negative impacts to the communities because they are left in the hands of unqualified contractors or municipal councils that have little expertise/knowledge on how to maintain the required standards for mutual benefits without looking at personal profits.
A research by Nthambi (2013) shows that, a number of projects have been proposed to help ease the adverse effects of wastes in the urban centres (more specifically in the slums) by various bodies including the national govern, county governments, NGOs, CBOs and various firms through PPPs programs but little has been achieved. According to her findings, in an interview that involved 100 respondents, 76% argued that the various waste management projects are just targeted at collecting either solid or liquid wastes in a common point/dumpsite and leave it to decompose; a factor that has exposed over 72% of the people living adjacent to these dumping sites into the social conflicts, health hazards and many more.
Another study by Wambua (2012) in Nairobi County shows that there are projects that have been initiated by the county and national governments, local communities, NGOs etc. that are aimed at solving the chronicle issues that have surrounded the urban waste in the residential estates and the industrial centres. However, Wambua notes that despite the advances that have been made for a long time in relation to waste management in Kenya, much of its waste management projects have not addressed issues like recycling but have put much emphasis on dumping of both the solid and sewage waste. In the largest industrial town of Thika for example, there exists only one open dump in the town which has resulted in air and water pollution. The dump handles both organic and inorganic waste; inorganic wastes pose a great threat due to the fact that it is nonbiodegradable. Pollution has left people with water-borne diseases (Kuria & Dr Mireri, 2010), displacement of people from the proposed dump sites (UNEP, 2013), regular social conflicts between members who get second-hand sellable wastes from the dumping sites and many more (UNEP, 2009).
It can be argued that many African cities and Municipal councils lack the capacity to handle both the solid and non-solid waste generated daily by the ever increasing city dwellers. By extension, almost all counties in Kenya lack the resources to manage solid waste as they struggle to fund social services in the entire counties. The solution to the funding of large or overwhelming programs like waste management should be seen to be as important as the provision of infrastructure in these counties (Mutuku, 2013). This thus calls for various waste management projects just like the introduction of Public-Private Partnerships in the provision of social services, particularly in solid waste management would probably be the saviour to this garbage handling problem in counties like Nyeri that have no proper waste management system.
In Karatina for example, waste management projects have constantly been associated with social, health, economic, and a variety of further aspects of life in the urban areas. Inadequate or poor projects implementation in the management of waste from households or businesses can dent efforts aimed at preventing the spread of diseases, discomfort, and economic development (Municipal Council of Mombasa, 2008). With that realization the municipal council of Mombasa since the 2003 adopted measures that included PPPs in waste management, implementation of various projects that included moving the dumping site and adopting programs that brought in the NGOs, CDAs, KMA, NEMA and many more in availing resources for the implementation of various projects. The general impact of these projects to the local residents of Karatina has been: creation of jobs for both the waste handlers and those working in various plastic recycling plants , provision of livelihoods to poor people through collecting and selling of dumped valuables (World Bank, 2013), availability of soil and water resources (Nyokabi, 2011), spread of diseases causing pathogens (Kasima, 2014), exposing of residents to mechanical hazards and chemical waste, and, the final issue has been that greenhouse gas emission has resulted to non-composted organic waste (by its anaerobic decomposition) contributes to (Wairimu, 2014).
1.2 Statement of the Problem
In Kenya, waste is produced at a rate that outpaces the capacity to collect and dispose of it in a safe and environmentally sound manner in almost all of its urban centres (NEMA, 2012). Wastes have ranged from minor litter in the urban centres that are not properly dumped in the designated dust pins to massive pollutants from the industries and human wastes not forgetting the garbage menace in urban centres like Nairobi, Kisumu, Eldoret, Mombasa and the Busia border town. This has not only attracted public outcry but for a long time has attracted international attention; a factor that has led to the implementation of various waste management projects in various parts of the country (GoK, 2012b).
According to Monyoncho (2013), a number of pollutants have attracted a number of issues that are aimed at developing strategies that are meant to address issues surrounding the implementation of programs for waste management. He continues to argue that, due to urbanization and population increase, a more severe issue besides the problem of littering which in most urban centres in Kenya is prevalent has been given birth to and projects aimed at checking this should be developed. The problem of plastic waste especially carrier bags- has been identified as and is health problems and an increasing number of environmental and health problems.
Waste collection and its transportation in Kenya is largely informal. Open dumping is the common waste disposal method being employed but there are very little recovery activities. The county government in Mombasa does not operate any composting plant where commercial waste recovery can be done, or where recycling could be carried or a transfer station. The contribution of the informal sector is complicated by the fact that the recyclables are mixed with the other wastes, both at the household level, industrial and at the dumpsite.
Studies have shown that, in Kenya, unlike the developed countries waste management programs have been very poor. The situation is worst in Mombasa and this has attracted a number of issues. According to the World Bank (2010), the risks to human health and the environment due to improperly managed waste management projects are existent. Problems due to improper waste handling and uncontrolled dumping may lead to a range of problems, such as water contamination, attracting rodents and insects, and increase of flooding due to gullies or blocked drainage canals. To add to this, this may bring about safety hazards from explosions or fires. Increases in greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions due to poor waste management also contribute to climatic changes thus leading to the death of the various plant and animal species.
A study carried out by NCC- UNEP (2010) shows that, in Karatina municipality, waste management projects have brought a number of positive impacts on the locals. For example, the jobs have been created and livelihoods have been improved for the poor people, who operate by collecting the wastes and moving them to the various designated dumping sites, environmental diseases have been controlled by having specific points where wastes are deposited, and many more. However, the problem arises when the issues surrounding the implementation of various programs aimed at mitigating the effects of waste management in Karatina town have never been researched on. In this realization, the research aims at establishing the effect of solid waste management projects on the welfare of the local community.
1.3 Purpose of the Study
The main purpose of this study was to establish the effect of solid waste management projects on the welfare of the local community in Karatina town.
1.4 Objectives of the Study
This study sought to achieve the following objectives:
- To examine how employment opportunities created by waste management projects affects the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town.
- To assess how health-related problems created by waste management projects affects the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town.
iii. To determine how social conflicts created by waste management projects affects the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town.
- To examine how environmental pollution created by waste management projects affects the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town.
1.5 Research Questions
The study was guided by the following research questions:
- How do employment opportunities created by waste management projects affect the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town?
- How do health-related problems created by waste management projects affect the welfare of the local communities of Karatinha Town?
iii. How do social conflicts created by waste management projects affect the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town?
- How does environmental pollution created by waste management projects affect the welfare of the local communities of Karatina Town?
1.7 Significance of the Study
First, the research is anticipated to be beneficial to the society. By implementing various waste management projects, it leads to a healthy society because environmental pollution menace is addressed. Also, there is a reduction of extreme effects associated with wastes both solid and nonsolid. It is hoped that the findings of this study will help raise awareness on issues pertaining to waste management from the community level to the national level.
The other category of beneficiaries is the policymakers. Policy makers and authorities may also make use of the findings of this study in their planning and policy formulation strategies. This may help come up with waste management projects implementations that have little negative effects on the local community. It will also help provoke rogue project handlers in the county and contract qualified waste management handlers thus yielding better waste management options that have little negative impacts with maximum positive impacts to the locals. It is, therefore, anticipated that the study’s findings herein may offer an insight into the role played by this waste management projects in helping or affecting the communities negatively through employing better environmental management policies.
It is also expected that the findings of the study may assist CBOs and NGOs operating in the Karatina region and beyond to understand the impact of the activities coming out as a result of waste management and how the positive ones can be strengthened through partnerships and how the negatives can be minimized. NEMA may get the sufficient information required to control the number of projects that lead to either environmental pollution or any other pollution that could affect the lives of the Kenyans negatively.
Finally, researchers are expected to benefit. Academically, this research may generate fresh knowledge to researchers who wish to carry out further investigation on the issue with possible recommendations on any areas in need of revisions. The study may also provide some baseline data that may guide future studies in accessing the impacts of waste Management projects implementation in Karatina Town and in other Kenyan urban centres.
1.8 Limitations of the Study
Time was a limitation that faced the study. Time for classroom work, research, that at work, that for the family and that of linkage between the supervisor and the respondents was a big issue. Owing to the nature of the researcher’s work, the time of the research and guidance by the supervisor at the campus will be higher in the competition. The researcher works in the central bank that never allows day time communication thus limiting the study times on most occasions. However, the researcher took a leave and created personal time to link the supervisor and the respondents during the research times.
Financial resources were not only a limitation but a factor in the study. Limited resources delayed the achievements of the study. However, the researcher got family support and by extension go for extra funding from the bank or any other institution when the need arose.
The final limitation was that of the language barrier and the ignorance of the majority of the people on the impacts of projects aimed at managing wastes. The communities living in the area have not been aware of these effects of various waste management projects within the county thus this compromised the results of the study. This was minimized by use of enumerators who helped in translations.
1.9 Delimitation of the Study
The study delimited itself by concentrating on the effects of waste management projects to the welfare of the people of Karatina. It also narrowed the scope of the study to areas affected by waste management projects in Karatina Town like karatina market, and many more. Another way, the study limited itself to the solid management projects that have been handled by either municipal, town council, solid management companies for the last 5 years so as to get quality information. The study finally focused on only four aspects of effects on the community’s welfare; jobs creation, environmental pollution, social conflicts and health issues.
1.10 Basic Assumptions of the Study
The research was carried out with the basic assumption that there were a number of waste management projects that have been implemented in Karatina for over 5 years and their records exist in the sub county offices.
Another assumption was that, the respondents were willing to give information (including the most sensitive one) without any bias and subjectivity that could compromise the results. Finally, the research had the assumption that the impacts of waste management in Karatina have tied themselves to the four objectives.
1.11 Definitions of Significant Terms A community
This is the sharing of common values by a social unit of any size. Though exemplified by face-to-face, the sizes of these communities are commonly small, larger or more expanded communities such as the national, international, and virtual community are also deliberated on. Belief, intent, preferences, needs, resources, risks, and a host of more conditions may be common and in existence thereby affecting the participant’s degree of cohesiveness and identity. Education- it is a form of learning where the skills, beliefs, knowledge, habits, and values of a group of people conveyed through storytelling, discussion, teaching, training, and or research from generation to generation. The educational experience is that which has an influential effect on how one acts, thinks, or feels. It might also include informal transmission of such information from one person to another. Frequently it takes place under the guidance of others, but learners may also educate themselves. Any experience that has a formative effect on the way one thinks, feels, or acts may be considered educational. Employment- it’s a relationship amongst two parties, where one is the employer and the other is the employee ordinarily centred on a contract where one’s work is paid for. Environmental pollution- it is the unwanted alteration in chemical, biological, and physical characteristics of the water, air, and land we inhabit. Due to rapid industrialization, overpopulation, and other man actions like deforestation, and agriculture etc., the earth has become overloaded with various pollutants released as by-products. Social conflict- it is the struggle for power or agency in society. Social or group conflict occurs where there are two or more actors that oppose each other in their social interaction, by reciprocally applying social power to try and attain scarce or incompatible goals to prevent the challenger from attaining the same resources.