Factors influencing household solid waste disposal and management in garissa Town, Garissa County, Kenya

Abstract

Despite the Local County Government effort to clean up the Town of Garissa, the garbage accumulation situation in the residential and entire town continues to worsen day after day. The situation is made even worse by the presence of plastic bottles and polythene papers which are visible in every part of the town. Besides that, piles of garbage are seen in many areas outside residential areas and these become an eyesore to visitors coming to Garissa for the first time. Further, the concentration of population and business activities in the town and the accompanying of rapid increase in the volume of solid waste generated from production and consumption activities have led to the prevailing situation. This study investigated the factors influencing disposal and management of household solid waste in Garissa Town of Garissa County, Kenya. The objectives of the study were; to determine how various methods of waste disposal and management are impacted by the levels of education/awareness, to investigate the influence of location of Household on disposal of solid waste, and to investigate the influence of garbage disposal facilities/technologies on disposal and management of solid waste. Descriptive survey was used as a research design for this study while cluster, purposive and random sampling techniques were used to select the sample. A sample of 400 respondents was used for this study. A questionnaire was used as the main instrument for collecting data for this study although guided interviews and observation was also used to gather knowledge and information. Data collected was analysed using SPSS package and then it was presented by use of frequency and percentage Tables. The study found that the residents of Garissa Municipality are not aware of any outlined method and responsibility of waste management adopted by the authorities for keeping the Municipality clean. There is no specific way of waste disposal and management which can be called the norm or best practise for the Municipality’s Households . As such therefore there is no such a way of doing things and

which has been sensitized to the residents. From the study also, it was is also found that there was nothing to show any relationship between household location and amount of waste produced. From the findings, it was found that different households living in different residential areas generated different quantities of waste depending on their sizes rather than their location. From the findings also, it is also clear that there is no adequate waste disposal mechanism/technologies/facilities available to most residents living in Garissa Township.. As such, most household waste are scattered all over residential places, giving a bad image to the environs of the Municipality . Further, surface dumping of household waste is the most common form of waste disposal applied by residents. Other methods include burning and burying in the ground, though burying of domestic waste is quite rare. The study recommends that, Garissa town county government should put up designated waste dumps in all residential areas so as to ensure that residents do not scatter their household waste all over the place as they currently do. If dumping places are available, people would see the sense of taking their waste to the designated places rather than throw them all over the place as they currently do. Residents of Garissa Township should be sensitized to stop depositing their waste near residential areas as this exposes them to the danger of contracting diseases. Instead, the council should designate specific places for waste deposit and collection. The local council should contract the private waste collectors to extend the services they currently provide to the shop owners operating along the main streets to residential areas. This would reduce the amount of garbage in the residential areas.