President William Ruto has pledged to transform Nairobi River within two years, highlighting the unacceptability of a polluted river in the headquarters of various environmental organizations.
“I want to promise you that the river we have in Nairobi in two years, will be different. Because we cannot have the headquarters of world environment, UNEP in Nairobi and have the dirty river that we have,” he stated.
The President committed to collaborating with all stakeholders to ensure the city lives up to its status as the environmental headquarters of the world. Since launching the Climate WorX Mtaani initiative in September, he noted that the program has already created jobs for 10,000 youths.
Ruto’s comments came after Environment CS Aden Duale announced that the river would be cleaned within 18 months. Duale warned against polluting Nairobi River and pledged strict action against violators.
“What you see behind me is not a river. In 18 months, we want to see a clean Nairobi. We have put companies, slaughterhouses, and Nairobi sewerage firms on notice. We also want to track where garbage collectors are disposing of the trash,” he said last Thursday during the Mazingira Day celebrations at the Nairobi Arboretum.
He directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to investigate garbage collection companies regarding their waste disposal practices.
Additionally, the CS announced plans to engage 20,000 young people in the cleanup of Nairobi River. He reaffirmed his commitment to restoring the river, stating that he would implement a color-coded system for garbage collection in homes.
“All households and facilities must have separate bins for organic, dry, and wet waste,” he emphasized. Furthermore, he instructed NEMA to ensure effective waste tracking from homes and industries to designated dumpsites.
