A delegation from Mombasa County, Kenya, has visited Zoomlion Ghana Limited and other subsidiaries of the Jospong Group of Companies (JGC) to study the company’s innovative waste management model.
The visit aimed to explore potential areas of collaboration and emulate the Jospong Group’s sanitation module in Kenya, follows a working trip by the Executive Chairman of JGC, Joseph Siaw Agyepong, to Kenya last month, with the goal to promote a Pan-Africa’s solution to the sanitation challenges, by turning it into opportunities for growth.
It was to discuss and observe at first-hand, how the Jospong Group uses green technologies and state-of-the-art facilities to solve challenges within the environmental sanitation space.
The 26-member delegation, led by the Governor of Mombasa, Abdullswamad Sherrif Nassir, included Members of Parliament (MPs), technical staff members, and administrative personnel of Mombasa.
This was the second time a delegation from Kenya had visited the JGC, the first was last month when officials from the office of Kenya’s Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, as well as the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA), visited to explore sustainable waste management partnerships in Kenya.
Tour, impression
During their four-day visit, the delegation toured various facilities of the JGC, including Sewerage Systems Ghana Limited (SSGL), Zoomlion Transfer Station in Pantang, Accra Compost and Recycling Plant (ACARP), Kpone Landfill Site, Universal Plastic Product and Recycling Plant (UPPR), in Accra and Kumasi Compost and Recycling Plant (KCARP), Medical Waste Treatment Facility, and Kumasi Waste Water Treatment Plant in the Ashanti Region.
The team, after several discussions and touring these eco-friendly facilities, was overwhelmed with the depth of knowledge and expertise exhibited by the Jospong staff, describing Jospong Group’s solution as one that brings social, environmental, and economic empowerment to the youth.
Mr Sherrif Nassir, on behalf of the delegation, commended the JSC for taking the lead in waste management in Africa and creating opportunities for the youth.
He outlined the county’s waste management strategy, which includes dividing Mombasa into 600 units and employing young people to collect waste, stating that the collected waste will be taken to a transfer station and then to a material recovery facility, eliminating the need for landfills that cause environmental degradation.
“In the past, people were disposing of waste haphazardly due to the lack of a formal collection system..
“To address this, we’re dividing Mombasa into 600 units and employing young people to collect waste. We’ll pay them a salary to prevent cartels from forming,” Governor Nassir said
The Governor expressed gratitude to the Executive Chairman of Jospong Group of Companies, Mr Agyepong, for his support and participation in the upcoming devolution conference.
Mr Sherrif Nassir also mentioned how sanitation challenges such as solid waste, sewerage, and medical waste have bedevilled the county of Mombasa, hence their readiness to allow Jospong Group to replicate their blueprint solutions to the sanitation sector to provide a sustainable environment for all.
Collaborative partnerships
The Executive Chairman, Mr Agyepong, welcoming the delegation, emphasised the importance of collaborative partnerships and supporting local talent.
“We’re committed to making this project a success, and we’ll work closely with you as partners,” he said.
“We believe in collaborative partnerships, supporting local talent, and creating employment opportunities.”
He expressed the JGC’s team readiness to work with Mombasa County to complete feasibility studies and ensure timely delivery.
“We’ll send a team to discuss details with stakeholders and before work begins,” he said.
“By the time we finish, locals will be equipped to operate the plant, and we’ll establish a training regime for knowledge transfer.”