How open sewages, poor drainage systems choke Nairobi residents

From the high-end estates nestled in the leafy suburbs such as Karen and Runda to the open slums of Kibera and Mathare, life in Nairobi City is both adventurous and challenging.

While those who live in posh estates have the luxury of peace of mind, thanks to their reclusive and captivating serene environment, the same cannot be told about those dwelling in some areas.

It is a typical day in Base Area in Zimmerman, Nairobi, as people brave the sweltering heat of the sun to conduct activities that serve as their source of daily bread.

A glimpse into my watch tells me it is a few minutes past 1 pm.

The area is somewhat a bee-hive of activities as shop owners and open stalls operators are in action serving the available customers and preparing to receive the next ones.

For a small scale entrepreneur, this is a promising business environment.

But alas! there is something amiss here!

The strong and extremely offensive odour renting the air wipes out any positive thought that had been built about the area at a glance.

The stench is choking. But I brave it to give voice to residents who have for years suffered because of poor sewerage systems and defections in the open.

"I think the Ministry of Water and Sanitation, National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and the City Council should join hands and work on this issue," Mwaura Janos, a resident, told the Star in an interview.

Occasional bursting of sewerage lines is a usual business here. The poor drainage system in the area has exacerbated the situation.

A shopkeeper, who sought anonymity and who has operated here for years, tells me she has known no peace for years because of this sewer debacle.

A sewer line passes through a road near her shop. The sewer line is prone to constant breakages occasioned by heavy trucks passing by more often.

“The heavy vehicles cannot seem to get it. Every other week the sewage hole bursts and it is mostly because of the weight exerted by the garbage trucks,” she said.

Another businesswoman identified as Eunice has been subjected to massive losses after the wastewaters found a home in the precincts of her stall.

“It is not just the gross smell giving me headaches. There are no customers willing to buy from my shop.”

She is certain that if the open sewer system is fixed, customers will begin trooping in immediately.

“The ministry responsible needs to fix this permanently. Please,” she appealed.

"As much as we are talking about water pollution, we need to talk about the open sewers that are making our lives unbearable," Moraa Moke said.

Mutura sellers are equally hit; nobody wants to have a bite of their delicacy while at the same time breathing the strong odour emanating from the sewer trenches.

“No one is willing to buy mutura from me especially when this open tunnel decides it’s the strong stench evenings,” said a mutura seller in the area.

Customers too have also been severely hit by the menace. They are forced to trek several meters to access simple but essential services.

“It is sad really. Some days I have to walk further just to get mutura because of the sewages. I mean would it not be easier to close them up. They can flow down there honestly I do not understand why we have to see them flow.”

Besides the sufferings of businesspersons, water pipes passing through the open sewer are ticking time bombs for waterborne diseases.

In the event the pipes break, diseases like typhoid and cholera will hit many who rely on the water to run basic household errands.

Many have been forced to seek alternatives just to keep safe in the event tragedy strikes.

“I buy water from the supermarket just so I am sure the water I drink is clean and has no traces of human waste,” Joy Mboya, a campus student who lives in the area, said.

But the challenge is not a preserve of Base Area alone. The problem is replicated in many other slum areas and even towns such as Westlands.

In the rainy season, towns such as Westlands face flooding occasioned by a poor drainage system that is unable to direct rain waters to designated places.

As a result, clean rainwater that can be harvested for future use is mixed with sewer waters compounding the dire situation of not only flooding but also a health hazard that behold many road users.

According to the United Nations report of 2021 on the progress toward the Sustainable Development Goals, the world is not on track to achieving Goal 6.

Goal 6 deals with everything water, hygiene and equitable access to the aforementioned.

It has proven hard to keep on track of this goal as climate change has been playing a major role in barring progress.

With disasters like floods, wastewater has been washed right back into flowing rivers, streams and other water catchment areas.

This has resulted in this polluted water flowing into the ecosystem.

But it is not just climate change barring progress. Human habits play a role too.

But even so, the time to build proper infrastructure to channel sewer and rain waters to their designated places is long overdue.

The county government also have a duty to respond swiftly to the challenges of sewer breakages to restore them back to order.