The high cost of waste: Nairobi's landfills and the hidden toll on human health

In many parts of Nairobi, waste has become part of daily life. Overflowing trash, open sewer points, uncontrolled dumpsites, and open burning are now a familiar sight.

For residents in areas such as Dandora, Majengo, and Shauri Moyo, these are not just eyesores—they are health hazards that slowly and silently erode quality of life.

Dandora, home to one of the largest landfills in East Africa, epitomises the city’s waste crisis.

The stench carries for miles, overwhelming first-time visitors but barely noticed by residents whose senses have dulled after years of exposure. Some have even lost their sense of smell entirely due to the toxic air.

But the real danger lies not in the stench or the unsightly heaps of garbage—it is in what the dumpsite contains and how it affects those living and working nearby.

Dandora is not an isolated case. Across Nairobi, in informal settlements and low-income neighbourhoods such as Majengo, Kiambiu, and Pipeline, illegal dumping and waste burning are equally rampant.

Unregulated landfills

What are often labelled as “waste collection points” quickly become unregulated landfills, growing in size and toxicity right next to homes where families cook, live, and raise children.

In these communities, waste is often burned in the open, releasing poisonous fumes into the air. Children play only metres away from rotting trash.

With no structured collection system and the city’s population swelling, these residents have become the silent victims of Nairobi’s waste neglect.

The health risks are starkly visible. As in Dandora, people in these areas face respiratory illnesses, waterborne diseases, skin infections, and frequent injuries from sharp waste.

Dangers personal

For Alex Odiwuor, a long-time waste picker in Dandora, the dangers are personal. Moving from one dumpsite to another, he spends his days searching through heaps of garbage for recyclables or anything of value—often without protective gear.

When gloves are available, they are usually worn out. Masks provide little protection against toxic fumes.

“From persistent flu, to a congested chest, and now the loss of my sense of smell—it’s all because of the time I spend here,” Kelvin explains. “I breathe in this air every day. I've stopped going to the hospital because it's always the same: chest infection, flu, fatigue.”

Other Topics To Read

• City Affairs
• Air pollution
• Dandora dumpsite
• Majengo
• shauri moyo
• Dandora
• waste crisis
• dumpsites
• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease
• chronic pneumonia
• Geoffrey Mosira
• Nairobi landfills
• uncontrolled dumpsites
• The high cost of waste: Nairobi's landfills and the hidden toll on human health
• Headlines

For Odiwuor and others like him, the dumpsite is both a livelihood and a health trap. Respiratory infections are routine. But the risks go further. Medical waste is frequently dumped illegally at night—posing extreme danger to waste pickers and nearby residents alike.

“Sometimes, you come across medicine packets, injection needles, or things we don't even recognise. And with no separation of waste, everything is mixed—plastic, metal, food, diapers, even hospital waste. We touch all of it,” says Odiwuor.

Constant hazards

Cuts and injuries are constant hazards. With no access to first aid, waste workers often suffer infections such as tetanus.

“Getting cut at the dumpsite is normal. But we don't have a safe way to protect ourselves, and there's no proper disposal system. Everything goes into one heap. We're exposed to diseases every day, and no one seems to care.”

This reflects Nairobi’s broader waste management crisis. The city generates more than 3,000 tonnes of waste daily, most of which ends up in open dumpsites due to the lack of structured recycling, segregation, and disposal systems.

Only a fraction is collected or properly processed, while the rest is dumped illegally or left to rot in informal settlements, polluting air, soil, and water.

The consequences are severe. Chronic respiratory illnesses are on the rise in urban and peri-urban areas where pollution levels are high and waste systems are failing. Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)—a progressive lung condition that restricts breathing—is among the most persistent and dangerous.

Esther Mwaura, a Nairobi-based medical practitioner, notes that the link between environment and respiratory health is often overlooked.

“We're seeing more cases of chronic respiratory illness among people who have never smoked a day in their lives,” she explains, “but who live in areas with constant exposure to unclean air. It's no longer just about personal habits; the environment is playing a much bigger role than many people think.”

Harmful gases

Poorly managed landfills release harmful gases such as methane and volatile organic compounds (VOCs). Continuous exposure irritates the lungs and accelerates respiratory diseases like COPD and chronic pneumonia.

“Many patients don't realise how much their environment contributes to their respiratory issues. Prolonged exposure to air pollutants—especially from landfills—can significantly worsen lung health over time,” says Mwaura.

Chronic pneumonia, closely linked to COPD, often develops slowly and goes unnoticed. It may begin with a lingering cough, mucus production, or fatigue.

Over time, shortness of breath, chest discomfort, fevers, and even unexplained weight loss appear, but many dismiss them as minor health issues until the condition becomes severe.

Left untreated, both COPD and chronic pneumonia can result in respiratory failure—a life-threatening inability of the lungs to supply oxygen to the body.

Weakened respiratory system

Air pollution near landfills is now recognised as a major driver of such illnesses. Residents in these areas face constant exposure, which inflames the airways and weakens the respiratory system.

A 2020 study published in The Lancet Planetary Health found strong links between waste site proximity and health risks in South Africa.

Analysing data from 2008 to 2015, researchers discovered that households within five kilometres of dumpsites faced significantly higher risks: 41 per cent more likely to suffer asthma, 18 per cent more likely to contract tuberculosis, 25 per cent more likely to develop diabetes, and 8 per cent more likely to experience depression. The study also noted that these risks fell disproportionately on low-income communities.

Closer to home, Nairobi County’s Chief Environment Officer, Geoffrey Mosira, recently warned residents in areas such as the CBD, Woodley in Kibra, and Juja Road to wear masks after air quality monitoring recorded pollution levels above safe limits.

In a statement on 4 September, Mosira said prolonged exposure could lead to diseases such as asthma, COPD, bronchitis, pneumonia, and emphysema.

He added that 87 monitoring machines have been installed across the city and urged residents to check regular updates on the county website.

Mosira assured that expert teams are investigating pollution hotspots and taking corrective measures.

He stressed the need for vigilance and precaution, reminding Nairobians that the city was recently ranked the second most polluted in the world.