• The river has gulped billions.
• It was once a sparkling wonder.
Image: COURTESY
It all started on November 14, 2007. This was just the first phase of the Nairobi River Rehabilitation Programme, which was to take three years and cost the government Sh16 billion.
Today, the authorities are still grappling with a financial crisis among other problems that have hampered efforts to fix the heavily polluted river. This is the fourth attempt to have it regain its lost glory. The river that flows across Kenya’s capital city has gulped billions.
Decades ago, the water from the river all the way from Lavington to Dandora, was a sparkling wonder. It abounded with fish and other aquatics like the water beetle. Then, Nairobi was referred to as the green city in the sun. But that was then. Today, Nairobi is a dead river — or nearly so.
Dead foetuses, used syringes, raw human waste and hazardous industrial waste have replaced fish and freshwater organisms. So far, the bodies of 13 infants and four adults have been retrieved from the river. The youth cleaning the river now say they are undergoing emotional trauma. Past studies on its tributaries and basin showed evidence of high levels of chemical and organic pollution.
Mid this year, Governor Mike Sonko asked police chiefs and county officials to investigate the dumping of bodies in the water. Komb Green Solutions chairman Fredrick Okinda said the issue is traumatising and they are being affected psychologically. The bodies are believed to come from illegal clinics that carry out abortions.
Komb Green Solutions is tasked with cleaning the river. Okinda’s group has managed to partially clean the area near Korogocho slums. Many residents have, however, questioned the reason behind starting the cleanup from downstream instead of upstream. This comes even as the Environment ministry cries foul over massive budget cuts.
In March, Environment CS Keriako Tobiko said lack of funds was putting the ambitious plan in jeopardy as only Sh110 million had been allocated. On July, 10, Tobiko raised concerns saying key activities at the ministry were likely to stall following budget cuts.
“We are concerned about budget cuts. As you know, the Nairobi River cleanup and restoration have zero budget. Other critical projects are Ngarisha Lake Naivasha, Suswa and Lake Magadi,” he said.
Tobiko said almost Sh500,000 was slashed from the ministry’s budget, a move that “seriously compromises and jeopardises the capacity of the ministry and its entities to deliver”.
City Hall had allocated Sh330 million to the programme under the second supplementary budget of the 2018-19 financial year. Will the River regain its lost glory? National Environment Management Authority acting Director-General Mamo Mamo thinks so. But, this will be realised progressively.
“The big challenge is the informal settlement within the riparian areas,” he told the Star.
Mamo said the authority is working closely with other partners to end effluent from slums. The exercise, however, will require a lot of money. Mamo said they will enter into private-public partnership for funds.
“We want to ensure we can get proper sanitation for informal settlement through innovative means. This is, for instance, giving them proper sanitation facilities, instead of flying toilets,” he said.
Mamo said the challenge could be big, but with proper planning and approach, the river will be clean again. They have so far shut 52 facilities and establishments within the Nairobi River ecosystem, in a crackdown on polluters.
“Out of that, we are engaging with them to ensure they comply with water quality regulations,” he said.
“Some 75 per cent [of such facilities] have, however, put up effluent treatment plants that we wanted to be shut progressively, we want 100 per cent of facilities to comply. Most of them have acquired effluent discharge licences.”
He said most facilities initially thought they would not enforce their orders. “They thought we would stop after a few days. They have now understood that our inspectors are always within the premises to ensure they comply,” he said.
“We also sit with them to provide compliance assistance, as they tell us the challenges they have, for instance, in putting up a treatment plant according to timelines.”
He said the challenge they have with Kiamaiko slaughterhouse is the sewerage system.
“They are now discharging to the public sewer,” he said.
“However, they will have to move as they are in the wrong place.”
Mamo said the slaughterhouse is in the process of relocating to another place. The authorities have been in a cat-and-mouse game with slaughterhouse owners. It has since been established that they neither meet standards nor have operation licences.
(Edited by F'Orieny)