By Ronald Owili
Nairobi County will soon have a smart garbage collection system if a pilot project to help manage and optimize the County’s fleet of waste collection vehicles is successful.
Scientists from IBM Research – Africa are currently fitting the vehicles with smart devices to help create a digital map of the condition of Nairobi’s streets.
Visiting U.S. Assistant Secretary for Global Markets, Department of Commerce, Arun Kumar says if successful, the project would be replicated to other sectors such as agriculture, water and transportation to create investment opportunities.
IBM Research Lab in conjunction with Nairobi County are working on a system, fitting 10 garbage trucks vehicles with smart devices to monitor garbage collection by create a digital map of the condition of Nairobi’s streets.
Kumar said innovation by the lab is key, as the solutions developed could be duplicated to other urban centers with similar challenges, creating business opportunities.
IBM Research – Africa VP Dr. Kamal Bhattacharya says the project would be extended to all of Nairobi’s waste collection trucks.
The US delegation’s visit comes ahead of President Barack Obama’s scheduled visit to Kenya next month for the Global Entrepreneurship Summit.
Garbage in the region’s economic capital, Nairobi has remained an eyesore to the residents and visitors alike as the county struggles to find ways of managing it in an efficient and eco friendly manner.
Due to the few recycling facilities and vehicles to meet garbage collection demand, most neighborhoods are left with waste for several days leading to creation of illicit dumpsites.
Source: KBC
