TITLE:
Governance Gaps in Economic Valuation of Solid Wastes for Environmental Sustainability in Kisii Town
AUTHORS:
Naftal O. Mecheo, Bessy Kathambi, James Moronge
KEYWORDS:
Governance Gaps, Economic Valuation, Solid Wastes, Circular Economy Environmental Sustainability
JOURNAL NAME:
Journal of Geoscience and Environment Protection,
Vol.13 No.4,
April
22,
2025
ABSTRACT: Solid waste management (SWM) is a major challenge in many urban areas in developing countries. The governance structures in the management of solid wastes are overwhelmed to sustainably manage the solid wastes. The study sought to evaluate the governance gaps in economic prospects for sustainable solid waste management in Kisii town. Study adopted zero-waste and the circular economy theories and a cross-sectional research design. Data collection methods encompassed questionnaires and interviews using KOBO software. Data from interviews was analyzed using both descriptive and inferential analysis. The results indicate that 98% of the residents perceive waste as a resource. Further, results show that only 10% of residents have an acquaintance of Kisii county laws on economic recovery. Governance breaches were depicted that waste recovery takes place at 1.4%, enforcement is at 14.8%, personnel training at 20.4%, and on-source separation of wastes at 17%. This confines economic valuation of waste. The results also indicate that there is at duplicity of players overriding waste with five sectors. There existed few waste-to-resource activities in Kisii town which mainstreamed by the County government could spur the economy of the town. Study recommends that both the county and national governments prioritize mainstreaming solid waste economic recovery by sensitizing people to the value of SWs.