City residents: Cleaning Nairobi River before stopping polluters will be futile

Residents of Nairobi who work next to the Nairobi River have asked the government to involve them in the new efforts to clean it.

The residents, mainly mechanics, motor vehicle spare parts dealers and those washing cars around Kariokor told The Eastleigh Voice that it would be meaningless for the government to undertake the cleaning of the heavily polluted river without finding from them what ails the water source.

When The Eastleigh Voice visited the area, street children were going about their business beneath a bridge linking Race Course Road to other streets in downtown Nairobi.

The dark-coloured water in the river is heavily polluted, with foam gathering on the banks while polythene and gunny bags litter the waterway.

Japheth Nderitu, who repairs cars at a garage near the river, said it can only be cleaned if those polluting it are stopped.

"If the government knows people polluting the river, then it is better to stop them from doing so because coming here to clean it without stopping polluters will be futile," said Nderitu.

Teddy Obonyo, who runs a spare parts shop next to the river, is tired of the filth in it. He laments how the strong unpleasant stench is driving customers away from his business and hopes that the polluters will be stopped.

"To save our businesses from collapsing, those polluting the river should be stopped. Most clients coming to our shops cannot withstand the unpleasant smell from the river," he said.

Earn a living

Street families that spoke to The Eastleigh Voice said they are hopeful that the government will involve them in cleaning the river to enable them to earn a living.

The city dwellers acknowledged President William Ruto's resolve to restore the Nairobi River when he launched the latest phase of its regeneration in Korogocho last month.

Raw sewerage flows into the Nairobi River near Kariokor. (Photo: Barack Oduor)

This marks the second time President Ruto has initiated a similar project, the first one having been launched in February 2023.

During the initial event last year, Ruto announced over 12,000 job openings for youth and women to participate in cleaning the river. This was to begin in March 2023 and was to include activities like tree planting, cleaning water bodies, and greening neighbourhoods in the capital.

"The government of Kenya, under the Ministry of Environment, is partnering with the County of Nairobi to hire 12,770 young people and women to participate in cleaning the river and planting trees," Ruto said during the February 2023 launch.

Governor Johnson Sakaja at the time noted that Nairobi County needed Sh4.5 billion in the short term, Sh6 billion in the medium term, and Sh19 billion over five years to establish a proper sewerage system. The president said the project was moving forward through a partnership with the African Development Bank, which provided Sh22 billion to fund the system's construction.

Ruto relaunched the programme this year, which now includes the rehabilitation of the river catchment basin and the construction of affordable housing for families living along the riverbanks.

Garbage floats in the heavily polluted Nairobi River. (Photo: Barack Oduor)

Climate Works Mtaani initiative

He also introduced the Climate Works Mtaani initiative, a national climate action and livelihood programme that will engage about 200,000 youth in environmental sustainability efforts. The president announced that the first phase of the Climate Works initiative will officially begin on October 1, 2024, encouraging 20,000 youth to apply for jobs.

The project will expand to major cities including Mombasa, Eldoret, Nakuru, and Kisumu within a month, with 40,000 youth expected to be involved. An additional 10,000 will be allocated to various areas of Nairobi starting in early November.

Once again, Ruto issued a stern warning to those polluting the rivers, vowing to hold them accountable for dumping waste in the waterways.

"Entities polluting our rivers — industries, manufacturers, and those discharging raw sewage and solid waste — will all be held to account," he said.

Over the years, efforts to clean the Nairobi River have repeatedly stalled. The Nairobi River Basin spans about 2,500 square kilometres.

The Nairobi River Basin Programme, which was launched in 1999, and former President Uhuru Kenyatta's Nairobi Regeneration Programme, also failed to achieve lasting results.

Ruto said it is an indictment to have a dirty river in the city, which hosts various environmental bodies such as UNEP.