Busia residents trained on e-waste management

Busia County residents benefitted from training on e-waste management courtesy of the ICT Authority.

Speaking during the training at the Busia County commissioner’s conference hall, Stephen Otieno, officer ICT Authority said the training aimed to ensure efficient disposal of e-waste in an amicable way and managed efficiently.

“E-waste contributes to the environment at a rate of 25%. This percentage is at a higher rate in third world countries because many people are not aware of how e-waste is supposed to be disposed of and managed effectively. The awareness training will now give a chance of dissemination of the information to the public on e-waste management,” he said.

Otieno further stated that the Authority has received over 2,000 equipment from the stakeholders and some of the devices have been refurbished, repaired and disposed of.

“We are still receiving more wastes from the organisations and we have been managing them in an effective way,” he said.

The official further said that there is need for more sensitisation to ensure that everyone is aware of e-waste management.

Otieno noted that there is the need of having central collection points of wastes before they are taken to the ICT authority.

“There is a need to have a collection point at every county so that these devices can be collected as they wait to be taken to the Authority. This will help in adequate management of e-waste at the collection point and they should be mobilised at a central point. This can happen through the agreement between the authority and the county governments,” he said.

Busia county director of Environment (NEMA) Cliff Barkatch stated that e-waste affects human life and there is a need for management of the waste.

“When e-waste is poorly disposed of, it destroys our soil and water and even gets to the food chain and affects health together with the environment,” he said.

 Barkatch further stated that there is a responsibility of the e-waste producers to ensure waste is separated at the source.

“There is a chain of e-waste custody from producer-transporters to the recycler both licensed by the authority. This will ensure the waste doesn’t go to non-designated areas. The law also requires the producer’s follow-up their product to the end of its life,” he said

He also stressed on the need of establishing more collection centres across the counties adding that it will help in addressing the e-waste management.