Public private partnership in solid waste management: case study of Nairobi

Abstract

Partnerships are believed to have bounced on the scene globally because many nation states failed in providing basic services .In many developing countries, over the few decades, partnership is taking more significant role in provision of services while government ownership has declined. In Nairobi, partnership has been applied in service provision in projects such as rehabilitation of public toilets and running them as SME’s, and adopt a light, which lit the streets in both wealthy parts in Nairobi and in the slum areas. This study focuses on PublicPrivate Partnership (PPP) in solid waste management (SWM) in Nairobi. New Public Management theory has been used to describe management of public services carried out by the private sector with management changes. NPM has provided for a future of smaller, faster-moving service delivery organizations that would be kept lean by the pressures of competition, and that would need to be user-responsive and outcome-oriented in order to survive. Qualitative research method has been used to get understanding of PPP in SWM. Mainly, secondary data was obtained from past research on SWM in Nairobi and other cities in the world with a view to exploring their experiences in PPP. Primary data was obtained through face to face interviews with key informants and semi structured interview questionnaires with service providers and users to establish why PPP was being implemented in SWM in Nairobi, how it is being implemented and the outcome of its implementation. The study reveals that introduction of PPP compliments the delivery of SWM services, making it more effective. However, it has been found that if there is no good supportive environment, then the partner has difficulty to manage the waste hence affecting the end product. iv