• Informal settlements are a big challenge since they have no sewerage systems and dump waste and garage directly in the river.
• Nema Director General says they have so far shut down 52 facilities and establishments within the Nairobi River ecosystem, in the purge against polluters.
Image: EZEKIEL AMING'A
Will we ever see a sparkling clean Nairobi River?
The National Environment Management Authority acting Director General Mamo Mamo thinks so.
But, this will be realised progressively.
"The big challenge is the informal settlement within the riparian areas," he told the Star on Tuesday.
He spoke during the launch of the National Tree Planting Campaign for the short rains at Lenana Block, Ngong Road.
Mamo said to address effluents from slums, the authority is working closely with other partners. The exercise, however, will require a lot of money.
Mamo said they will enter into private-public partnership for funds.
"We want to ensure that we can get proper sanitation for informal settlement through innovative means. This is for instance giving them proper sanitation facilities instead of flying toilets,"he said.
He said the challenge could be big, but with proper planning and approach, Nairobi river will be clean again.
Decades ago, the water from the river was a sparkling wonder.
It abounded with fish and other creatures like the water beetle.
Then, Nairobi was referred to as the green city in the sun.
Cool and clean drinking water could be sourced from four main rivers – Ngong, Nairobi, Mathare and Mbagathi.
Today, Nairobi is technically a dead river.
Studies on the various tributaries of the river and basin conducted in the 1990s showed evidence of high levels of chemical and organic pollution.
The DG said they have so far shut down 52 facilities and establishments within the Nairobi River ecosystem, in the purge against polluters.
"Out of that, we are engaging with them to ensure that they comply with provisions of water quality regulations," he said.
Some 75 per cent have however put up effluent treatment plants that we wanted shut progressively, we want 100 per cent of facilities to comply.
Most of them have acquired effluent discharge licences.
Initially, he said, most facilities thought they were not going to enforce their orders.
"They thought that we will stop after a few days. They have now understood that our inspectors are always within those premises to ensure that they comply," he said.
Mamo added: "We also sit with them to provide compliance assistance, as they tell us the challenges they have for instance in putting up a treatment plant according to timelines".
He said the challenge they have with Kiamaiko slaughterhouse is the sewerage system.
"They are now discharging to the public sewer," he said.
However, they will have to move as they are in the wrong place.
Mamo said the slaughterhouse is in the process of relocating to another place.
Authorities have been in cat and mouse game with slaughterhouse owners.
It has since been established that they neither meet standards nor have licenses to operate.
(Edited by V. Graham)