Nairobi City County Government has received a privately initiated proposal to develop a modern medical and hazardous waste treatment facility, estimated to cost USD 60–70 million (approximately Ksh7-9 billion).
In a public disclosure on September 24, the county government said the proposed facility would have an initial treatment capacity of 60–80 tonnes of waste per day, with the potential to expand to 100 tonnes.
Nairobi generates an estimated 30–40 tonnes of medical and hazardous waste daily, and the current disposal system is fragmented across the county’s 17 sub-counties.
“Nairobi City County Government (NCCG) is committed to safe. sustainable, EMCA-and WHO-compliant management of medical and hazardous waste from public, private and faith-based health facilities in the County.
The Public Private Partnerships Act, 2021 allows the private sector to participate in the design, financing, construction, operation, maintenance and transfer of infrastructure. Pursuant to Section ection 40 of the Act and the National Treasury’s disclosure requirements for Privately Initiated Proposals (PIPs), NCCG notifies the public of the receipt of a PIP,” reads part of the statement.
The proposal was submitted by Satarem America Inc., a US-based clean energy and environmental engineering company, on November 10, 2025.
Nairobi County Gets Proposal for New Medical Waste Treatment Facility
The proposed facility would have an initial treatment capacity of 60–80 tonnes of waste per day, with the potential to expand to 100 tonnes.
Under the proposed Build-Operate-Transfer (BOT) model, Satarem America would design, finance, construct, operate and maintain the facility for 10 years before transferring it to Nairobi County at no cost, subject to the applicable provisions of the Public Private Partnerships Act, 2021.
The project would include waste reception and sorting, autoclave sterilization, high-temperature pyrolytic incineration, wastewater treatment, ash stabilization and a solar-grid hybrid power system.
Nairobi County said the facility would serve more than 135 public health facilities in the county, alongside subscribing private and faith-based hospitals in Nairobi and neighbouring counties.
The proposed project is expected to undergo environmental and social impact assessment and comply with the Environmental Management and Co-ordination Act (EMCA), World Health Organization guidelines and other applicable standards.
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Other Details About the Facility
The county government said the proposal projects the creation of approximately 300 direct and 600 indirect jobs, alongside opportunities for local skills transfer.
Satarem has also proposed donating solar systems to selected health facilities as part of its corporate social responsibility programme, subject to approval.
The proposal will now undergo the PPP process, including evaluation, project development, negotiations, preparation of the project agreement, stakeholder engagement and the required regulatory approvals.
Nairobi County clarified that the estimated project cost, capacity, and other figures in the proposal are proponent figures and remain subject to verification, evaluation, and negotiation.
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National Govt to Handle Waste
The disclosure follows the Nairobi City County Government and the national government signing a Ksh80 billion cooperation pact to streamline the planning and delivery of key projects across the city.
In February, the two levels of government established a joint responsibility framework to oversee the implementation of key sectors, including housing, roads, water provision and waste management.
Water and sanitation projects will account for a significant portion of the funding, with Ksh2.1 billion allocated to the Ng’ethu Water Treatment Plant to address daily water losses estimated at 50 million litres.
In sanitation, Ksh9 billion has been committed to the construction of two parallel 27-kilometre trunk sewer lines along the Nairobi River corridor, while Ksh6 billion will fund a new sewage treatment plant with a capacity of 60 million litres per day.
A further Ksh3 billion will support last-mile sewer connections, with Ksh15 billion earmarked for long-term sewer expansion.
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