Breathing new life: Nairobi launches air quality monitoring network

The new network, consisting of 50 new low-cost sensors, will provide real-time data across the city, enabling: identification of pollution hotspots, evidence-based policymaking, and timely, targeted interventions

This move is expected to enhance the city’s capacity to tackle air pollution, which caused an estimated 2,500 premature deaths in Nairobi in 2019.

In a press release dated June 11, 2025, the Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja, noted that the deployment is a core component of the Breathe Cities Nairobi initiative, launched in September 2024.

“This milestone marks a turning point in our commitment to improving air quality management,” Sakaja said.

“By deploying a city-owned air quality monitoring network, we are taking bold, practical steps to ensure that every Nairobi resident has access to cleaner and safer air.”

Breathe Cities is a global partnership between the Clean Air Fund, C40 Cities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies aimed at reducing air pollution in major cities by 30% by 2030, using 2019 levels as a baseline.

Nairobi is one of 14 cities worldwide participating in the program.

Environment Chief Officer, Geofrey Mosiria, noted that air pollution remains an invisible but deadly threat, often referred to as a silent killer.

He highlighted its impact on children's development and the health of adults, especially among the most vulnerable populations in major informal settlements.

He further stressed that access to accurate data would no longer be a barrier, and this information would now guide life-saving decisions in policy and public health.

“Clean air is a human right, yet air pollution remains an invisible crisis,” Mosiria emphasised.

In 2023, air pollution levels in Nairobi were four times higher than the WHO recommended levels for fine particulate matter.

This statistic was linked to real human impact such as lost lives, health burdens and economic strain, particularly affecting vulnerable groups like children and the elderly.

Technical Head for Breathe Cities, Seneca Vieira, acknowledged and celebrated Nairobi's progress in its clean air initiatives.

Previously, Nairobi had 28 real-time air quality monitors providing publicly accessible data, a major achievement in the African context, where such data is often limited.

“With the support of Breathe Cities, an additional 50 low-cost sensors are being deployed, making Nairobi’s air quality monitoring network one of the largest in Africa,” Vieira noted.

She concluded by encouraging residents who are affected by pollution to report incidents to the county government using the available helpline numbers.