Once clear and scenic, the waters of the Nairobi River were a sense of pride for the residents of Gatia in Kasarani constituency, but over time the river has lost its allure due to wanton pollution from the city dwellers upstream.
The waterfalls, which would have otherwise provided a recreational spot, are heavily contaminated with raw sewage that is spilled into the river unabated.
Residents have complained over the foul stench from the water adding that it is also a health hazard as it is a source of diseases.
The situation has left investors who were counting on the site to attract visitors counting losses with a hotel forced to close down due to low traffic in the area.
At the same time, animals still consume the water from the contaminated river.
Decades of neglect have rendered the cleaning of the Nairobi River a horrendous task.
There have been efforts to clean the river with crackdowns by the relevant authorities to conserve the riparian land.
During a fact-finding mission in 2020, a Water Resource Authority team found that waste from several apartments was being directly discharged into the once pristine waterway.
In October 2020, NMS general Mohammed Badi initiated a clean-up exercise of the Ngong River.
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Badi stated that enforcement agencies like the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) would inspect and ensure nobody was discharging liquid or solid waste into the rivers in the county.
NMS is in the process of establishing Material Recovery Facilities in all the seventeen (17) sub-counties which will support the separation of different types of waste.
This he explained would reduce open dumping of waste thus stopping pollution of the environment, control illegal dumping as well as create jobs for the youth.
