NAIROBI, Kenya – Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has shifted the blame for the severe pollution of Nairobi River away from informal settlements, singling out middle-class households, industries, and large companies as the real culprits.
Speaking before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale emphasized that the widespread belief blaming slum dwellers for the river’s degradation is a “fallacy.”
“The story in town is that informal settlements are polluting Nairobi River. That is a fallacy. It’s less than 1 percent. They even don’t have garbage. What they eat is very little,” Duale stated, arguing that the waste generated by low-income communities is negligible due to their limited consumption.
Instead, the CS pointed fingers at wealthier neighborhoods and industrial enterprises, accusing them of being the primary contributors to the river’s contamination.
“The people who throw garbage, the people with huge garbage, are the middle class and industries, and then they blame informal settlements,” he added.
Duale disclosed that the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has identified 145 industries, factories, slaughterhouses, and apartment complexes that are discharging untreated waste directly into the river.
He cited the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company as major offenders, accusing them of allowing raw sewage to flow into the river from broken infrastructure.
“In fact, we don’t have a river; we have sewage,” he remarked, highlighting the scale of pollution caused by poorly managed wastewater systems.
Additionally, Duale noted the presence of thousands of illegal dumpsites along the river’s 47-kilometer stretch from Kikuyu to Thwake Dam, with trucks frequently offloading garbage into the river.
In a stern warning, the CS called for the strict enforcement of environmental laws and held NEMA accountable for ensuring that polluters are penalized.
“I have directed the NEMA Director-General that he must enforce the laws passed by this House. He has no choice,” Duale stressed.
The Cabinet Secretary also urged Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to prioritize the removal of dumpsites along the riverbanks to curb further pollution.
Speaking before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale emphasized that the widespread belief blaming slum dwellers for the river’s degradation is a “fallacy.”
“The story in town is that informal settlements are polluting Nairobi River. That is a fallacy. It’s less than 1 percent. They even don’t have garbage. What they eat is very little,” Duale stated, arguing that the waste generated by low-income communities is negligible due to their limited consumption.
Instead, the CS pointed fingers at wealthier neighborhoods and industrial enterprises, accusing them of being the primary contributors to the river’s contamination.
“The people who throw garbage, the people with huge garbage, are the middle class and industries, and then they blame informal settlements,” he added.
Duale disclosed that the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has identified 145 industries, factories, slaughterhouses, and apartment complexes that are discharging untreated waste directly into the river.
He cited the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company as major offenders, accusing them of allowing raw sewage to flow into the river from broken infrastructure.
“In fact, we don’t have a river; we have sewage,” he remarked, highlighting the scale of pollution caused by poorly managed wastewater systems.
Additionally, Duale noted the presence of thousands of illegal dumpsites along the river’s 47-kilometer stretch from Kikuyu to Thwake Dam, with trucks frequently offloading garbage into the river.
In a stern warning, the CS called for the strict enforcement of environmental laws and held NEMA accountable for ensuring that polluters are penalized.
“I have directed the NEMA Director-General that he must enforce the laws passed by this House. He has no choice,” Duale stressed.
The Cabinet Secretary also urged Nairobi Governor Johnson Sakaja to prioritize the removal of dumpsites along the riverbanks to curb further pollution.
