Residents and traders in Mombasa County have raised the alarm over mounting heaps of uncollected garbage choking roads, residential neighborhoods, and business premises, warning that the stalled collection services pose a serious public health risk as the county braces for the El Niño rains.
Speaking along Mwembe Kuku Road and other affected areas, residents said refuse had piled up for over a week without being cleared, releasing a foul stench and turning the area into a breeding ground for flies, rodents, and disease-causing bacteria.
Residents want the county to increase collection frequency, boost monitoring of waste contractors, provide adequate equipment, and crack down on illegal dumping, while also urging the public to dispose of waste responsibly.
Trader Mahmoud Abdallah said the uncollected waste had directly hurt businesses in the area, as customers increasingly shy away from buying food sold near the rotting heaps.
“The garbage here has been piling up for a long time now, almost a week and a half, and no one has come to collect it. We have lost customers because of the waste; people are afraid to buy food near all this filth,” Abdallah said.
Another resident, Alamin Somo, warned that food vendors operating next to the garbage risked contaminating cereals such as beans, peas, and groundnuts with bacteria, exposing buyers to cholera and respiratory illnesses. He accused the county government of failing to designate proper dumping points or collect waste on schedule and urged officials unable to perform their duties to step aside.
Human rights activist Walid Skety termed the crisis a failure of the county system rather than a lack of funds, noting that both businesses and households are charged for garbage collection yet see little improvement.
He contrasted Mombasa’s situation with neighbouring Kwale County, which he said has installed central collection bins that allow residents to dispose of waste in a dignified manner.
Skety further questioned the impact of a recent Sh95 million county investment in garbage trucks and tuk-tuks, saying no tangible results had been seen on the ground.
He cautioned that mixing accumulated waste with the anticipated El Niño rains could trigger outbreaks of cholera and chikungunya, and threatened to mobilise residents from Likoni to Mwakirunge, Jomvu, Changamwe and Mvita in mass protests if the county fails to act.
Trader Sophia Mamleku appealed to the county government to urgently address the mess, questioning how a tourist hub like Mombasa could allow its town centre to remain so dirty ahead of the rainy season.
They said the growing pile-up threatens not only public health but also the county’s image as a leading tourist and commercial destination, and called on Governor Abdulswamad Nassir’s administration to intervene before the rains worsen the crisis.
Trader Japheth Ruwa reiterated the residents’ frustrations and appealed to the county government to act swiftly on the matter.
“We are appealing to our Governor Abdulswamad to address this matter urgently,” Ruwa said.
By Ramadhan Nassib and Vanessa Sariman
