Duale admits Nairobi River cleanup tougher than expected

Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has acknowledged that cleaning the Nairobi River is proving to be a difficult task.

On Thursday, the CS pointed out that the government initially underestimated the challenge.

"Even cleaning the Nairobi River is not an easy job. It's a tall order, and that's why the President and all of us thought it was easy. Now we have changed the whole thing and said we need to relocate the entire sewer system," Duale said.

Speaking on Nairobi River pollution, he identified four major contributors to the river's pollution, starting with the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company.

According to Duale, their outdated and damaged sewer systems pass through the river, leading to constant discharge of waste

The second major polluters, he said, are 145 industries, factories, and slaughterhouses that illegally release their waste into the river instead of using proper disposal systems.

While about 60 per cent have complied with restoration orders, others are yet to take corrective measures.

The third group includes developers constructing high-rise buildings along the river without proper sewage disposal systems.

"They dig 20 to 30 meters and then link it to the river," Duale noted.

Garbage collectors

The fourth problem, the CS highlighted, comes from both private and county garbage collectors, some of whom dump waste along highways or into the river.

He warned that Nairobi County has been given three months to address the issue.

"We must have traceability. When you collect garbage from a house, we must find out where it ends up. Some of it is dumped along highways," Duale said.

He admitted that government institutions themselves bear a major share of the blame.

Other Topics To Read

• City Affairs
• Nairobi River Commission
• Ruto Nairobi River
• Nairobi River pollution
• Duale admits Nairobi River cleanup tougher than expected
• Headlines

"The culprits I've mentioned from water boards to Nairobi Water Company are all government," he said.

Despite the setbacks, the Environment CS reaffirmed that efforts to clean the Nairobi River will continue, with tougher measures to enforce compliance.

To curb the growing pollution in Kenya, especially along rivers, the government in December 2024 announced it would now turn its focus to large corporations.

New regulations

CS Duale tabled new regulations before the Senate that hold businesses responsible for cleaning up plastic waste.

Companies, both local and international, found polluting will either be required to clean up the waste themselves or pay for its removal.

Appearing before the Senate Committee on Delegate Legislation, CS Duale unveiled seven new regulations under the Environmental Management and Coordination Act and the Sustainable Waste Management Act.

Among them is the Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR), a regulation that puts the responsibility on manufacturers to clean up the mess they create.

Under this regulation, companies that produce goods, such as beverages or dairy products, will be required to either clean up waste generated by their products or pay for the cleanup if their packaging ends up as waste in the environment.

CS Duale made it clear that the government would no longer blame individual citizens for polluting with waste from recognisable brands.

Duale revealed that NEMA's assessments done in November 2024 found that over 145 factories and apartment complexes along the Nairobi River were major contributors to its pollution.

The EPR concept has been gaining traction worldwide, with Kenya's adoption of this policy mirroring successful global efforts.

The Kenya Plastic Action Plan, launched in December 2019, further emphasizes the commitment of producers within the plastics sector to take responsibility for their products' waste.

The regulation is grounded in the "Polluter-Pays Principle," which holds manufacturers financially, organizationally, and physically responsible for the waste their products generate.

The Sustainable Waste Management Act, specifically Section 13(1), clearly states that every producer is responsible for reducing the environmental impact of the products they sell in Kenya.

While the government has made strides toward holding businesses accountable, CS Duale has also issued a stern warning to factories discharging waste into the Nairobi River. Those failing to comply with environmental regulations face the possibility of being shut down.

"Factories that are producing waste into the Nairobi River will be closed if they don't comply with the Ministry's environmental regulations," he stated.