Residents commit to support Nairobi River clean-up

Communities along the Nairobi River Basin have thrown their weight behind the ongoing cleanup initiatives.

 This is after the Nairobi Rivers Commission held a consultative community engagement and sensitisation meeting on November 10 at the commission.

 Government agencies on the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme were present.

 The meeting brought together Nairobi City County Assembly MCAs from Dagoretti, Kikuyu, Kiambu, Kangemi and Riruta wards and local landowners.

 The forum was coordinated by Waithaka MCA and Minority Leader at the Nairobi City County Antony Karanja.

 The meeting underscored a shared commitment to advancing the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Program (NRRP) while ensuring the rights and interests of landowners and local communities are fully respected.

 Participants agreed on the need for continued public engagement and collaborative planning to address concerns around riparian areas, development regulations and Special Planning Area (SPA) guidelines.

 The Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme is critical for addressing the significant environmental and urban development challenges facing the Nairobi Metropolitan Area.

 Rapid expansion of informal settlements along riparian zones, coupled with acute housing shortages, has contributed to substandard living conditions for many residents.

 The city’s sewerage system, built in 1965 for a population of 350,000, is now grossly inadequate for Nairobi’s 5.3 million residents in 2023—a number projected to reach 20 million by 2053—resulting in insufficient drainage and waste management infrastructure.

 These pressures have heightened public health risks, with polluted waterways and uncontrolled discharge of industrial and household effluents endangering communities.

 Encroachment of riparian reserves and irregular construction has led to illegal raw sewage discharge, while inadequate solid waste management—particularly at the Dandora Dumpsite—further exacerbates environmental hazards.

 The city is also experiencing declines in biodiversity and degradation of natural habitats, such as the Ondiri Wetland, the source of the Nairobi River, alongside increasing flood risks amplified by climate change.

 The NRRP aims to tackle these complex challenges through comprehensive river rehabilitation, sustainable urban planning and community-inclusive interventions.

 Lt. Col. Kahigu Njoroge, project manager, Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Project  emphasized the collaborative approach saying, “We will work with Water Resources Authority, Nema and other agencies together with landowners to determine the true high-water mark and the correct riparian. That is the proper process.”

 He further clarified landowner rights, “The Constitution of Kenya, the various existing Acts and laws are very clear on the delineation of riparian land, the difference between public land and private land interests on the same riparian land, and in particular on the limits to what one can do within these areas.

Njoroge added that the planning process, and the policies that will come out of the Special Planning Area (SPA) process will guide development policies, noting: ”Planning is a process, and the policies that come out of it will guide what can or cannot be built close to the river.”

 MCA Karanja reinforced the importance of sustained community engagement, highlighting the consensus reached during the meeting.

 “The original idea when we came here was to demystify some of the things you have heard and that is exactly what has happened. From here, we will move to shorter spans where you live. Together with the Nairobi Rivers Team, we will organise even smaller citizen engagement meetings.”

 He further emphasised the role of political leadership in ensuring representation. As political leaders, our role is to create a link between our electorate and development programmes to ensure they are represented.”

 Bishop Margaret Wanjiru, Chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, welcomed the collaborative spirit of the forum.

 “We have had positive and insightful engagements with the communities from Kangemi and Dagoretti. We have agreed to re-examine the laws governing NRRP’s work that were of distress to them with the intention of reviewing them with public participation, such as the SPA,” Wanjiru said.

 The forum concluded with a clear message of unity and shared responsibility. Communities expressed strong support for the NRRP, committing to active participation while ensuring that development interventions are implemented fairly and sustainably.

Both government agencies and local stakeholders emphasised that the programmes success depends on balancing infrastructure development, environmental conservation.