Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale revealed on Sunday that two state parastatals are among the many companies put on notice for polluting the Nairobi River.
Speaking at the United Nations Climate Change Conference (UNFCCC COP 29) in Baku, Azerbaijan, Duale said 145 companies operating in Nairobi had been identified as major polluters of the river.
Among these companies are the Athi Water Services and the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company, both of which run their sewer lines beneath the riverbed, raising significant environmental concerns.
“The biggest polluters of the Nairobi River are the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water Services. We discovered that their main sewerage lines pass through the river. Now, we must redo the sewer system, which is causing the government significant infrastructural losses,” Duale explained.
He noted that while previous governments attempted to clean the river, progress had been limited, with success seen only between Globe Roundabout and Grogon at Michuki Park.
“Mark my words, the river will be different in another 18 months,” Duale added.
Duale emphasized that these companies knowingly discharge waste into the river, contributing to the environmental degradation of the Nairobi Metropolitan area. He also shared that the Nairobi River Regeneration Program Committee had backed his claims, releasing a survey detailing how these companies release harmful effluents into the river.
Additionally, investigations revealed that many slaughterhouses near the Nairobi River, including Kiamaiko Abattoir in Eastlands, are also contributing to the pollution by discharging waste into the water.
