IBM fits tracking devices in Nairobi garbage trucks to raise collection

Corporate News

Nairobi Governor Evans Kidero (left) hands over truck keys to a driver after he launched 11 new trucks for garbage and waste management in the county in March 2014. PHOTO | FILE 

By OKUTTAH MARK

In Summary

• City Hall says it was forced to seek IBM’s expertise after realising that drivers were using the vehicles to do private businesses.

IBM has developed tracking devices that will enable City Hall to manage its fleet of garbage collection vehicles more efficiently.

The absence of fleet monitoring technology has stifled Nairobi’s effort to meet a target of over 1,300 metric tonnes of garbage collection daily.

The county government spent Sh300 million to acquire 31 trucks but Nairobi residents still largely depend on private companies to collect garbage from their estates.

Environment County Executive Evans Ondieki said that inefficiency had forced the government to seek IBM’s expertise after realising that drivers were using the vehicles to do private businesses.

Drivers’ behaviour

The solution developed by IBM’S experts at its Africa research lab based in Nairobi is being piloted in 10 waste collection trucks.

The device gathers and transmits data on a vehicle’s location, speed, tonnage of garbage loaded and the drivers’ behaviour on the road in real time.
The data will help county officials to expand their waste collection services.

“After the installation of the smart devices in a number of the trucks we realised that some of the drivers were using the vehicles to transport sand from Machakos or building stones from Thika instead of the intended purposes,” Mr Ondieki said in an interview.

Dr Kamal Bhattacharya, the vice president of IBM Research Africa, said their scientists were analysing information gathered on the efficiency of the fleet and the condition of roads they operate on.