The European Investment Bank (EIB) is supporting Kisumu City, through the County Directorate of Climate Change, to address its solid waste management. It is in partnership with German Corporation for International Cooperation (GIZ) under the City Climate Finance Gap Fund using a Ksh. 40 million technical assistance programme.
The project will analyse the potential for generating biogas from the organic waste produced in four farmers’ markets and six informal settlements. The Gap Fund will conduct pre-feasibility studies with concrete recommendations on how to optimise waste collection, which currently stands at 35%, and collaborate with small and medium private waste collectors.
It will also analyse the availability of last mile connection options for the gas to reach the final beneficiaries, both within the markets and at informal settlements.
The technical assistance will help ensure the idea becomes a viable project. Once implemented, it will have numerous benefits for the county residents: including 16,000 tonnes of organic waste which is expected to be diverted from landfills or open dumpsites in a 4-year period and reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. About 30,000 people are expected to gain access to biogas for energy purposes thus reducing households and businesses’ dependence on fossil fuels and biomass.
This will have a positive spill-over effect of reducing deforestation.
Speaking on the partnership, Edward Claessen, the Head of the EIB Regional Hub for East Africa said: “The City Climate Finance Gap Fund is a good example that, besides financing, we also provide advice and technical assistance to our partners. Through the fund, we aim to help county governments to ensure climate resilience is built-in and mainstreamed in their urban growth.”
Maryline Agwa, the Kisumu County Executive Committee Member for Water, Environment and Climate Change, “As a county we are excited to welcome the team and we value the support from EIB and GIZ through GAP Fund to conduct the waste to biogas feasibility study. This will enable the city and county government to manage and divert over 70% of organic waste which is normally transported to the dumpsite.”