Browsing by Author "Murunga, Phoebe Kalelwa"

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    Environmental Impacts of Solid Waste Management Practices in Murang'a County, Kenya
    (Kenyatta University, 2025-06) Murunga, Phoebe Kalelwa
    Waste management is a global concern due to the amount of waste produced. Globally, 2.01 billion tons of solid waste is produced annually with 33 percent of waste not managed safely. By 2050 waste generated is predicted to increase to 3.40 billion tons annually. Despite the weight of these threats on ecological balance, limited research has been conducted regarding the evaluation of the degree of which poor solid waste management practices influence the environment. This research therefore assessed the environmental impact of waste management in Kiharu Sub-County in Murang’a County, Kenya. More specifically, the study sought to identify the types of solid wastes produced in Kiharu Sub-County, investigate the key components of waste management system, to determine the environmental impacts of solid waste management practices and lastly to investigate the challenges of effective waste management practices and their impact on the environment in Kiharu Sub-County. The study adopted a descriptive cross-sectional quantitative research design and targeted 19,404 households in Kiharu-sub-county. From the population, a sample of 200 was obtained. The data was collected using a questionnaire which was entered and analyzed using SPSS version 27.0. Descriptive statistical analysis was then conducted where statistics such as mean, frequency, standard deviation and percentage were produced. Pearson’s correlation and regression analysis were used under inferential analysis to examine association between waste management and environmental impact. From the findings, the study established that there was significant and positive association between solid waste management practices, application and effectiveness of waste management systems and the environmental impact. The findings indicated that if the wastes generated by humans such as construction wastes (87.5%), food wastes (96.2%), Agricultural waste (94.6%) and Waste tires (92.4%) among others were well managed they would lead to a better environment that is clean and healthy. The study established that the community used open landfills and burning waste management practices although they were not effective as they led to degradation of the environment. However, they had adopted reuse, recycling, avoidance and minimization of waste disposal, composting and energy recovery as effective waste management practices. The study also established that there was significant and positive association between solid waste management practices and the environmental impact (p < 0.05). The findings indicated that if the wastes generated by humans were well managed through practices would lead to a better environment that is clean and healthy. The study recommended adoption of recycling and re-use methods by setting up recycling centers, awareness creation such as public training and campaigns to the community encouraging households and communities to manage their wastes efficiently, and also reduce reliance on burning and landfills. Lastly, the study recommended the use of modern waste handling equipment to enhance the efficiency and safety of waste management operations.