The Mombasa County government has closed down the Tudor Manyimbo dumpsite in Mvita constituency, marking the end of waste dumping at the site, following the establishment of a material recovery facility to support recycling and safer waste handling.
The closure ends longstanding health and environmental hazards posed by the site, particularly to nearby residents and pupils at Busy Bee School, who faced severe impacts especially during rainy seasons.
Speaking during the closure exercise, Tudor Ward Member of County Assembly, Samir Baloo said the decision followed sustained collaboration between the county departments of Environment and Health to address long-standing public health and environmental risks posed by the dumpsite.
Baloo said the dumpsite had adversely affected nearby residents and institutions including Busy Bee School, located adjacent to the dumpsite, where pupils suffered the most during rainy seasons when conditions worsened.
He added that the county had opened a recycling plant, where waste collected from Tudor and surrounding areas would be sorted before onward transportation, reducing the volume taken to landfills.
The MCA warned residents and waste collectors against continued dumping at the closed site, noting that enforcement measures were in place.
He said warning signposts had been erected and garbage collection companies formally notified of the new waste disposal arrangements.
County Director of Administration and Human Resources in the Department of Environment, John Kuti confirmed the closure of the site as a waste transfer point.
He explained that all collected garbage will now be taken to the county MRF yard for separation, after which recyclable materials are processed and the remainder transported to Mwakirunge landfill.
Kuti noted that with the closure, Mvita Constituency no longer has any waste transfer points, marking the end of such sites in the area.
Khamisi Charo, a resident living near the former dumpsite, expressed relief at the closure, recounting the poor conditions residents endured before the intervention.
“We are grateful to both the MCA and the county government for removing this dumpsite. The foul smell was unbearable, and our homes were constantly covered in dirt,” Khamisi said.
He added that the site posed serious health hazards to families in the neighborhood, with children particularly vulnerable to diseases associated with the waste.
By Sitati Reagan
