• On April 13, 2018, the regeneration team expressed confidence they would clean-up the river, failing which they would resign.
• Officials from the Environment ministry admitted the exercise stalled because of lack of funds
Image: /FILE
Officials of the Nairobi regeneration team, who two years ago vowed to quit should they fail, are finding it hard to accomplish what they started.
While officials from Nairobi county on Wednesday told the Star that the Nairobi Regeneration Programme was on course, officials from the Environment ministry admitted the exercise stalled because of lack of funds.
"There is no money allocated for the Nairobi River clean-up," a ministry official, who requested anonymity, said.
County Director of Water and Sanitation Mario Kainga on Wednesday insisted that the clean-up was on course. "The county government is investing a lot to clear solid waste. This happens daily," Kainga said, contradicting the ministry's position.
Tourism CS Najib Balala and his Environment counterpart Keriako Tobiko on Wednesday did not answer calls or respond to text messages.
The Nairobi Regeneration Programme was appointed by President Uhuru Kenyatta in 2018 to refurbish the city through renovations of roads, garbage collection and clean-up of the heavily polluted Nairobi River. The multi-agency team is co-chaired by CS Balala and Governor Mike Sonko. Chief of Staff Nzioka Waita oversees the regeneration on the President’s behalf.
Following the launch of the team, a couple of city roads were rehabilitated and garbage collection stepped up to improve the environment within the capital.
On April 13, 2018, the regeneration team expressed confidence they would clean-up the river, failing which they would resign. But over time, the process sparked turf wars among the agencies involved.
The Nairobi River, in which fish, water beetles and dragonflies thrived, is now dead, or nearly so. It doesn't support life, except for scum and maggots.
Kainga said the clean-up drive is composed of several components. During the Nairobi River clean-up, at least 18 bodies have been recovered.
This, he said, includes solid waste management, sewer management, industrial discharge management and the removal of illegal structures.
On industrial waste, Kainga said, the Kenya Industrial Water Alliance, the Kenya Association of Manufacturers and the Danish Embassy were working on it.
Kainga said the county is also working on a sewer and sanitation revolving fund policy. The policy, he said, will provide a framework for how investors can put and recoup their funds in sanitation.
National Environment Management Authority head of corporate communications Evans Nyabuto said the authority was dealing with those discharging dangerous substances into water bodies.