Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale on Tuesday directed the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) to crack the whip on deviant companies polluting the Nairobi River.
The directive marks his first order since taking over the Environment Ministry.
Duale, in the directive, maintained that the restoration order of the ailing river must be respected and action will be taken on the polluters with immediate effect.
"NEMA Restoration Orders must be obeyed by the regulated community," read a stern order from the CS.
"NEMA has been directed to start enforcement actions on all polluting facilities along the Nairobi Rivers Basin ecosystem with immediate effect."
In a separate confirmation, NEMA Director General Mamo B Mamo revealed that he was directed by the CS to ensure that the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage company fixes a manhole discharging effluent.
He further noted that the CS was keen on NEMA mapping out all effluent discharge points along the Nairobi Rivers ecosystem for immediate action.
In response to the order, the DG visited NCWSC and gave them a 24-hour deadline to fix broken sewer lines.
The affected sectors include City Park, Kenyatta National Hospital (KNH), along Kirichwa Kubwa and the discharging manhole in Kangemi.
This is after the NCWSC failed to obey the restoration order issued by NEMA," a statement by NEMA read in part.
"The DG said that action will be taken against any polluter, including prosecution for non-compliance."
In February this year, NEMA directed 29 companies to clean up the Nairobi River after inspections found assorted synthetic wastes bearing known brands.
The DG, at the time, argued that the waste was interfering with nature and the water flow.
