Duale blames middle-class for Nairobi River pollution, says informal settlements have 'nothing to throw'

Speaking before the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale emphasized that the narrative blaming informal settlements for the river’s degradation is misleading and overlooks the real culprits.

CS Duale rejected the belief that informal settlements are responsible for Nairobi River’s pollution, arguing that the waste generated by these communities is minimal due to their limited resources.

"The story in town is that informal settlements are polluting Nairobi River. That is a fallacy. It's less than 1 percent. They even don't have garbage. They have nothing to throw. What they eat is very little," said Duale.

Instead, he placed the blame on more affluent communities and industrial entities. "The people who throw garbage, the people with huge garbage, are the middle class and industries, and then they blame informal settlements," he added.

Duale highlighted that pollution from industrial and commercial activities has been mapped extensively by the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA).

According to him, NEMA identified 145 industries, factories, slaughterhouses, and apartment complexes that are discharging untreated waste directly into the river.

"The biggest polluters of Nairobi River — and NEMA has mapped out 145 industries, factories, slaughterhouses, apartments — are those who discharge their effluent into Nairobi River," he revealed.

Additionally, the Cabinet Secretary pointed to the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company as significant contributors to the pollution, noting that these entities frequently allow raw sewage to flow into the river.

"The greatest polluters are Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company. Their manholes discharge raw sewage into Nairobi River. In fact, we don’t have a river, we have sewage," he remarked.

The CS also addressed the issue of illegal dumpsites along the riverbanks, stating that thousands of them exist along the 47-kilometre stretch from Kikuyu to Thwake Dam in Makueni. These dumpsites, he noted, are a major source of pollution, with trucks regularly offloading garbage into the river.

"On Sunday, trucks were in Mukuru Kwa Njenga carrying garbage, discharging it into the river. And I have told the Governor of Nairobi, he must remove dumpsites along Nairobi River," said Duale, referring to a conversation with Governor Johnson Sakaja.

Duale stressed the need for strict enforcement of environmental laws and held various bodies accountable for their failures in waste management. He issued a stern directive to NEMA’s Director-General, Mamo B. Mamo, urging him to ensure that the law is upheld without compromise.

"I have directed the NEMA Director-General that he must enforce the laws passed by this House. He has no choice. Mamo must enforce," he said.