NAIROBI, Kenya — Experts have raised fresh concerns over the rising levels of air pollution in African cities, citing vehicle emissions and the open burning of hospital waste as the leading causes of deteriorating air quality and increased health risks.
Country Representative for the World Resources Institute (WRI) Kenya and Head of Air Quality, George Mwaniki, said transport remains the single largest contributor to urban air pollution, especially in cities like Nairobi.
“For most African cities, the number one source of air pollution is transport,” Mwaniki said during the Clean Air Forum held in Nairobi on Tuesday. “You don’t need to be told that transport is a major issue — just stand next to a major road and you’ll see the emissions pouring out of vehicles.”
Mwaniki noted that the second-biggest threat comes from the open burning of hospital waste, a practice that not only pollutes the air but also raises serious public health concerns.
“If you’re burning medicines and biological waste, there are concerns about how this could affect antibiotic resistance in the environment,” he said. “It’s disturbing to think what you’re breathing could include particles from amputated limbs that were incinerated.”
Pollution Threats Long Ignored
The WRI official criticised the long-standing neglect of these two sources of pollution, warning that the crisis has now reached a tipping point.
“These issues have been overlooked for too long. But they’re now too serious to ignore — they demand coordinated, urgent action.”
The World Resources Institute is working with Nairobi City County and UNEP to develop long-term solutions, including efforts to phase out older vehicles and high-polluting motorcycles and three-wheelers — which are especially problematic in Kenya and neighbouring countries.
“We’re seeing a push in Kenya, Uganda, and Rwanda to shift to cleaner two- and three-wheelers, which are some of the worst polluters in our cities,” Mwaniki said.
Nairobi Leading Policy Change
Kenya already has national air quality regulations, gazetted by NEMA in 2014 and revised in 2024, and Nairobi County is now finalising its own city-level air quality rules to enhance enforcement.
“The Act has passed, and the policy is in place. Once the regulations are finalised, enforcement will follow, and then we can begin measuring improvements,” Mwaniki said.
He also revealed that Nairobi now has 36 active air quality monitoring stations, combining basic sensors and advanced equipment to provide real-time pollution data.
Next Cities in Line: Kisumu, Nakuru, Mombasa
Mwaniki said while Nairobi’s challenges are the most complex, similar interventions are being planned for Kisumu, Nakuru, and Mombasa.
“We started with Nairobi because of its size and complexity. If we can fix Nairobi, other cities will be easier. We’ve already begun placing monitors in several towns to determine which ones should be prioritised next.”
Air pollution in Nairobi has been linked to more than 2,500 deaths annually, according to county data.
The findings from the Clean Air Forum come as cities across the continent grapple with the twin challenges of rapid urbanisation and weak enforcement of environmental standards.
Mwaniki called on policymakers, urban planners, and the public to treat air quality as a central part of city development and public health.
“You cannot talk about sustainable cities or healthy communities without talking about clean air,” he said.