Deputy Governor Titus Ntuchiu this afternoon led top officials of Meru County Government in an interactive virtual session with participants from 50 Champion cities across the world, during the ongoing Bloomberg Philanthropies 2021 Global Mayors Challenge which was moderated by officials of the Bloomberg Philanthropies Organization in New York City, United States of America.

In a call by Bloomberg Philanthropies to cities across the world aimed at uncovering 50 most innovative urban solutions in the wake of COVID-19 for the 2021 Mayor’s Challenge, Meru County led by Governor Kiraitu Murungi presented an innovation on Sustainable Solid Waste Management (SSWM) through black soldier fly insects, where the concept won the County a place among 50 Champion finalist cities out of over 600 cities, with an accompanying reward of Sh15 million.

The 50 Champion cities (including Meru) are currently in a final competition where the winning 15 cities will be awarded Sh100 million to implement their project.

The Deputy Governor noted that the SSWM innovation project for which Meru has been recognized in the Challenge, trouncing giant cities across the globe and landing it this prestigious honor, is the same one which was a while back, maligned and castigated by local political actors as "Earthworms(locally Mainyo/Mathong’o)" project simply because they had not clearly understood it, and hurriedly went ahead to rubbish it for short-term political opportunism.

"Should our County emerge among top 15 final winning cities, the Sh100 million awarded will be used to aide the implementation of SSWM project to ensure the 80% solid waste generated by the County contributes to transfroming Meru into a climate-smart city ( a clean, green, healthy and sustainable environment) in line with Governor Kiraitu’s Meru Vision 2040 of a Prosperous, United and Happy society," he added.

He said this will expand employment opportunities and enhance incomes creation for the people as part of the vision of Making Meru Great.
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