Dandora Garbage collectors have sued Nairobi County Government over mismanagement of the Dandora dumpsite.
The over 1000 waste packers have been represented in court by five of their colleagues who now want compensation and proper work environment for them.
According to court papers, the county is tasked with the responsibility of managing municipal solid waste at the Dandora dumpsite and when it fails then it is liable to environmental compensation for improper management which they claim is a serious violation of the rights of citizens.
It is their further claim that in their course of their work, they sustain cuts from glass which though painful and with catastrophic effects are such that they have to live with the consequences.
They further say that they have no personal protective equipment which exposes them to toxins such as lead and mercury.
“As a result of being exposed to toxins from burning plastic some of the common ailments have been established amongst them,” they claim
It is their argument that the consequences of the pollution are irreversible and risky and yet the county ignores them blaming the county for not putting up a framework to ensure their work environment is sound.
They have asked to the court to order Nairobi County to get funds in order to implement a permanent dumpsite and restore the Dandora dump site.
