E-waste
Government officers from Nyamira County have been sensitized on the importance of proper e-waste management because it has for it has become an environment hazard that accelerates effects of climate change courtesy of ICT Authority department.
Mr. Kepha Githinji, an Officer from ICTA revealed that Kenya accumulates an approximate of 51,300MT annually in e-waste with just 5% reported to be formally recycles and the rest is disposed-off unsafely endangering human life due to polluted environment, soil degradation and resource wastage because it can has not been utilized into profitable reuse.
“E-waste growth has been necessitated by various factors some of which include; population growth that highly depends on electronic gadgets in their day-to-day life, change in lifestyle and status of people, rapid urbanization and technology advancement, short life span of electronic gadgets and few repair options for electronic products accelerating their end of usefulness.” Enumerated Githinji.
He added that electronic devices or gadgets destined for end of their useful life, reuse or recycling and disposal are all considered as e-waste that is unsafely disposed in homes, offices, stores, dumping sites or buried.
“Unsafe disposal of e-waste has because a serious threat to our environment and identified accelerate climate change. Decomposing e-waste contains lead and mercury metals that leach into the soil endangering the natural minerals in it. Burning it emits toxic smoke which is hazardous to human beings when they inhale it and causes acidic rain whose run off water drains to water sources consequently endangering aquatic life.” The ICTA officer explained.
Environment and Land judge at Nyamira high court, Justice Kamau Mugo warned against conspiracy by unscrupulous ICTA officers, or government officers to damage or resell electronic gadgets that can are still of good use and instead suggested to ICTA to establish e-waste collection centre in counties to curb the looming menace that is detrimental to the entire environment and its habitants.
Nyanza regional director for National Environment and Management Authority (NEMA), Stella Kamwasir said the sensitization by ICTA on e-waste management and disposal was very educative and timely because e-waste is a real threat to the environment and junks of electronics whose life span has expired have allowed emergence of the informal e-waste sector like the scrape industry which is endangering other infrastructure in the country which is not necessary electronic.
Orpher Nyaigoti from ICTA observed that though Kenya is still facing challenges in management of e-waste like ignorance on safe disposal mechanisms, inadequate infrastructure, and emergence of the informal e-waste sector, their department has come up with strategies to ensure Kenyans are adequately sensitized on proper e-waste management and disposal and are working in collaboration with partners of good will to assist in establishment of standard infrastructure to manage e-waste in our country.
“Now that you are informed and aware of the importance of proper e-waste management, you therefore need to be purposeful in adhering to policy and recommendations on proper e-waste management and disposal to secure and sustain a green and safe environment for all and cushion against the brunt of harmful pollutants and climate change.” Nyaigoti appealed.