The Dandora dump site is about 850 tonnes of solid waste generated daily by around 3.5 million by inhabitants in entire city of Nairobi (Kenya capital city). The 30 acres site, which is one of the largest in Africa was once a quarry that the City Council of Nairobi sought to use temporarily. But it still exists, forty years later.

Birds and pigs thrive in the dump site, scavenging heaps of rubbish for food. Beneath them, waste pickers pounce on trash once it is offloaded by incoming trucks. Most workers on the site, sorts waste without gloves a midst heaps of broken glass, rusty tins, hospital needles and surgical razor blades making her vulnerable to injuries and infections.

Dumping in Dandora is unrestricted and includes industrial, agricultural, domestic and medical waste.  presence of dangerous elements such as Lead, Mercury, Cadmium and PCBs in the area that are health hazards. It noted that cases of cancer, anemia, hypertension, frailty, miscarriages, kidney problems, and nervous system disorders, were reported in discussions with communities and workers at the dump site.

The nearby Nairobi River absorbs pollutants from the dump site thus extending health risks to other Nairobi residents using it for cleaning and agricultural purposes. Its waters appear black and garbage spewing from the dump site floats gracefully on the surface and some of the waste makes its way into the river, posing some health threats to the communities using the water for irrigation of food products and domestic use.

Images taken by Dared mutua