Nairobi County begun installing public garbage bins in residential estates, extending a citywide cleanliness drive from the Central Business District (CBD) into neighbourhoods where pedestrians and residents have long grappled with littering challenges.
The ongoing installation has already covered parts of Kilimani, Kileleshwa and Lavington, with Governor Johnson Sakaja confirming that several more estates across the capital are set to benefit in the coming weeks.
The move follows the successful rollout of modern litter bins in the CBD earlier this year, marking a new phase in the county’s waste management strategy.
The estate installations build on a June initiative that saw Nairobi residents wake up to newly mounted 110-litre litter bins placed across high-traffic areas in the city centre. The bins Glasdon Jubilee units made from heat- and tamper-resistant Durapol polymer were designed to withstand heavy foot traffic, harsh weather and vandalism, while also improving the city’s aesthetics.
Sakaja described the project as more than a sanitation upgrade.
“These are not just bins. They’re a statement about the Nairobi we’re building—one that values order, hygiene and modernity,” he said, urging residents to complement county efforts by disposing of waste responsibly.
Beyond infrastructure, the county has also reinforced its human capacity to keep the city clean.
In August, Sakaja confirmed more than 3,500 “Green Army” environmental workers to permanent and pensionable terms the largest such intake since 1987 a move he termed historic for Nairobi’s environmental management.
“The city must be cleaned daily. That is now your obligation,” Sakaja told the workers during a handover ceremony, directing them to cover every neighbourhood using newly acquired equipment, including compactors, tippers and cleaning machines.
The expanded bin installation in estates now ties together these parallel efforts: modern waste infrastructure, a strengthened workforce and an institutional overhaul anchored by the upcoming Green Nairobi Company Ltd., which will oversee waste collection and environmental management.
The estate rollout is intended to curb littering at the source, reduce illegal dumping and promote a culture of cleanliness beyond the city centre making Nairobi cleaner, greener and more liveable, street by street and estate by estate.
But they risk being vandalized and stolen in some areas.
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