•Nema inspection shows most raw sewage is discharged directly into Nairobi River.
•Muguna dismissed summons, saying orders from Nema had been addressed.
Image: ENOS TECHE
Nema insists that the acting Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company managing director will be prosecuted for discharging untreated sewage into the Nairobi River.
On Monday, firm MD Nahashon Muguna narrowly escaped arrest for failing to comply with an order to repair the sewer lines.
He dismissed a summons saying some Nema orders had already been addressed.
The problem facing Nairobi is much bigger and cannot be addressed by one agency, Muguna said.
Dagoretti and Kiamaiko slaughterhouses were closed last year for discharging untreated waste into the Nairobi River, he said
The National Environment Management Authority (Nema) is persisting with arrest efforts, however.
Sources close to cleanup efforts said some top county officials could be drawn into the mess.
"Nema to commence the process of prosecuting MD of Nairobi Water and unit manager of Kariobangi Treatment Works for knowingly discharging untreated sewage into Nairobi River," the agency said on Wednesday.
It said points of discharge have been noted at Korogocho market and Kariobangi.
Nema said inspection of the sewer trunk run by Nairobi Water along the Nairobi River has shown that a bigger percentage of raw sewage is directly discharged in Korogocho because the Kariobangi plant is not functional.
Nema acting MD Mamo Mamo said the city's sewer system is not working and raw sewage is being discharged. He said 122 discharge points allow raw sewage into Nairobi's rivers.
Town planner Lawrence Esho said more resources are needed to repair and expand infrastructure, despite the limited budget.
Population increase makes it urgent to improve infrastructure and build sewage treatment plants, he said.
Many buildings have mushroomed in places intended to be low density.
NCWSC had been given restoration orders but are yet to work on discharge points.
Nema recently launched a 100-day rapid results initiative.
Board chair John Konchella said 30 arrests have been made and 48 facilities closed.
"We have issued 37 restoration orders," he said, adding that similar rapid-results initiatives have taken place elsewhere in the country.
Last year, former Nema director general Geoffrey Wahungu admitted most sewage from informal settlements ended up in the Nairobi River.
Wahungu said unless the informal settlements' sewage problems are not addressed, the Nairobi River cleanup will not succeed.
Decades ago, the river was sparkling, abounding with fish and other creatures. Today it is a dead river.
Back in the 1990s studies of its tributaries showed high levels of chemical and organic pollution.
Government agencies like NCWSC are among the top polluters.
Nema MD Mamo said the authority has been treating symptoms, not the causes.
He said problems include lack of solid waste management, encroachment on riparian reserves by informal settlements, pollution from sewer lines, poor planning, insecurity and inaccessibility of informal settlements and inadequate resources.
(Edited by V. Graham)