Kenya marked World Environment Day on Wednesday even a single scholar questioned the number of lives lost.
A postdoctoral research scientist with the African Population and Health Research Centre, Kanyiva Muindi, faulted the death figures and stirred debates.
But she did not say whether the toll should be higher or lower. She implies it's higher than official statistics.
The Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation says that 17,000 to 20,000 Kenyans lose their lives annually due to air pollution and related causes.
Muindi says, however, the estimates show weakness in data used to make critical decisions by policymakers.
"If I die at home, my family will just bury me which means I'm part of the statistics," she said.
She added," We must invest in data. This means rigorous research."
Muindi made the remarks at City Hall during a panel discussion ahead of World Environment Day.
Celebrated every year on June 5, World Environment Day is the UN's biggest annual event to encourage worldwide awareness on the need to protect the planet.
The theme of this is #BeatAirPollution, calling on governments, industry, communities and individuals to explore renewable energy and green technologies and improve air quality across the world.
Since the first World Environment Day in 1974, the has become a platform in more than 100 countries.
Polluting fuelwood and charcoal burning are critical sources of energy, especially in rural areas.
Heavy reliance on traditional fuels burden society and the environment.
Anthony Wainaina from the Health ministry said the impact of government projects was being evaluated.
"A study to get a baseline on indoor pollution is ongoing in six pilot counties," Wainaina said.
He said 30 per cent of deaths between 2010 and 2013 were attributed to respiratory conditions.
Every five seconds, somebody around the world dies prematurely of an air pollution-related death.
More than six billion people, a third of them children, regularly breathe polluted air that puts their health at risk.
That's more than 90 per cent of the world’s population.
About 600,000 deaths every year in Africa are linked to air pollution.
According to the latest air quality database, 97 per cent of cities in low- and middle-income countries with more than 100,000 inhabitants do not meet air quality guidelines of the World Health Organization.
That declines to 49 per cent in high-income countries.
In the past two years, the database — covering more than 4,300 cities and settlements in 108 countries — has nearly doubled. More and more locations measure air pollution levels and recognise associated health impacts.
With the decline in air quality, risks rise for stroke, heart disease, lung cancer and chronic and acute respiratory diseases including asthma.
During the panel discussion, participants explored ways of coming up with innovative ways of curbing air pollution.
WHO says 4.2 million deaths are recorded every year globally as a result of exposure to outdoor air pollution.
Further, 3.8 million deaths occur every year as a result of household exposure to smoke from dirty cookstoves and fuels.
Some 91 per cent of the world’s population lives where air quality exceeds WHO guideline limits.
Energy Regulatory Commission deputy director Peter Kaigwara said efforts have been directed towards having clean fuel.
"A pilot study on electric mobility is being done," Kaigwara said, adding that motorcycles were causing a lot of pollution.
Questions were also raised over the controversial Lamu coal plant.
Kaigwara downplayed its danger, saying coal technology has since been improved.
National Environment Management Authority compliance and enforcement officer John Mugo said they have closed some polluting firms.
(Edited by R.Wamochie)
