President William Ruto has committed to start a fishing project in Nairobi River.
Speaking on Thursday during the official launch of the Climate WorX Mtaani initiative in Korogocho, he said he will first ensure that the river is cleaned up.
The initiative houses the Nairobi River Regeneration Project.
"Tutahakikisha ya kwamba tumeweka usafi kwa hii mto mpaka iwe ni mahali pazuri tuweke samaki na tuhakikishe ya kwamba mto huu ukona maji watoto wetu waweze kutumia kwa njia sawasawa," he said.
This is loosely translated to, "We will ensure that this river is cleaned up so that it can be a good place to start fishing and ensure that the water is beneficial to our future generations."
Ruto said the Climate WorX will begin in Nairobi on October 1, 2024 and extend to Mombasa, Kisumu, Eldoret and Nakuru cities.
He added that before December 2024, the programme will be introduced to all the counties.
The President said 200,000 youths will get jobs in the Climate WorX initiative in environmental sustainability programmes.
At the same time, Ruto said all enablers of river pollution will pay dearly for their bad behaviours.
Ruto said they must all be ready to be held accountable for their actions, in the spirit of extended producer responsibility.
He insisted those responsible for pollution must also be ready to take responsibility so that the rivers in the country can be kept clean.
"Those entities that are polluting our rivers will be held responsible. The raw sewage coming from our public entities, the solid waste that is in this river coming from different places, on the basis of extended producer responsibility; each and every one of them will be held to account," he said.
"All of us, if you pollute the rivers, you must prepare to make sure that you are held to account and you pay for it so that we can keep the river clean and everybody becomes responsible for their behaviour. If you are not in good behaviour know that you are going to pay for bad behaviour."
