NMS to replace sweepers in CBD
Nairobi Metropolitan Services (NMS) has set in motion plans to replace human garbage sweepers in the central business district (CBD).
This follows the introduction of high-tech mechanical sweepers by the Major General Mohamed Badi-led administration to clean the CBD.
The deployment of the three new state-of-the-art mechanical sweepers is aimed at reducing over-reliance on labour-intensive human sweepers.
The addition of the three new sweepers brings to six the total number of mechanical sweepers at the disposal of NMS with three other having been in use since late last year.
The new fleet will complement three smaller capacity scarab street sweepers, which were among the vehicles by the government entity rehabilitated in the first phase.
The new sweepers will be deployed within the city centre covering Harambee, Kenyatta and Moi avenues, Parliament Way, Koinange, Standard, Kimathi, Tom Mboya, Muindi Mbingu Streets, among others.
They will be working from 9pm to take advantage of reduced traffic with daily schedules of operation to be observed.
“The sweepers will be deployed every night to clean up the city streets replacing the labour intensive system with those individuals to be deployed elsewhere,” said a statement by NMS.
Last year March, City Hall contracted garbage collectors left the city centre chocking in filth after they dumped garbage in the streets in protest due to non-payment of wages of over three months.
The new development now seeks to reduce over-reliance on the human sweepers with the new equipment able to sweep a width of 2.5 metres with a functional system that is able to pick garbage into the container within the truck.
This is through the use of a wide sweep belly brush which spans the width of the vehicle to clean heavy mud or dirt off the road as well as two extra front poly brushes used for litter collection. It is as well equipped with a wire side brush that digs into the kerb to keep the road’s edge clean.
The sweepers are also fitted with 500 litres water storage tank, suction system to collect and upload debris to a volume of six cubic metres and a watering system to reduce the adverse effects of dust to the operators and the public.
Once collected the garbage is carted away to the Dandora Dumpsite.
The cleaning solvents are sprayed using a front-mounted high-pressure water bar and a rear-mounted jet with the pressure powerful enough to blast off any heavy mud or dirt and also clean down the same machine after use.
“Use of this technology is meant to promote sanitation, reduce expose of dust to the public as well as the labour force,” added the statement.