Make Nairobi rivers clean

President William Ruto appointed the Nairobi River Commission with the mandate of restoring and protecting the capital’s rivers and riparian ecosystems.

We have always looked at the blue economy as the next port of call. Nairobi and Ngong rivers and their tributaries all end up in the Indian Ocean. A visit to the Bariki bridge, where Athi River joins the ocean, will show one how plastics and any other debris, including red soil, get into the sea due to siltation upcountry.

We need the rivers. Unfortunately, they meander through slums and industrial areas, where the damage is enormous, if not disgusting. There have always been “hot spots” when it comes to pollution of water bodies. This is where the commission should start, though a tall order. It has to ensure solid waste management, especially garbage, is addressed by the Nairobi City County government and the other counties where the rivers pass.

Pollution of water bodies in urban areas is a result of poor or lack of proper waste management. This is our Achilles heel. The blue economy, if it is to bring the income it is meant to deliver, has to be congruent to the cleanliness and protection of water bodies.

The mission and vision of the commission should not be hinged on politics. It should be thoroughly professional. Kenyans are crying out for bodies that will ensure delivery of services. This commission must ensure water bodies in the city county are very safe and properly protected.

Nema should chip in with its mandate to ensure the environment will be properly protected and water bodies will be clean from sewage and garbage, which is a hallmark of Ngong and Nairobi rivers.

Lastly, the commission should ensure that, as John Michuki wished, “fish can once again be spotted in Nairobi River”, and realise his predecessor Mutula Kilonzo’s dream of one swimming in the waters.

Mr Kigo is an environmentalist. [email protected].