This archive report was first published on 26 August 2019.
On August 26, 2019, the National Environment Management Authority (Nema) took a significant step towards protecting Nairobi River by shutting down four companies in the city's Industrial Area for polluting the waterway.
The companies, Modern Lithographic (K) Ltd, Apex Limited, Thorlite Kenya Ltd, and Kamongo Paper Recycling Company, were found to be discharging untreated waste into the river, posing a significant threat to the environment and public health.
Nema Director General Mamo B. Mamo stated that Kamongo Company lacked an efficient wastewater treatment plant, leading to the discharge of untreated waste into the environment.
“Kamongo company has been discharging into the environment without treating their waste water to the public sewer,” said Mr Mamo.
Additionally, Nema officials visited Chloride Exide company and issued improvement orders, citing concerns over air pollution emissions and the need for further testing to ensure compliance with regulations.
The crackdown on polluters comes on the heels of a two-month investigative project by The Nation titled “Toxic Flow,” which exposed the alarming levels of pollution in Nairobi River.
The report highlighted the river's transformation into a large open sewer, with over 4,000 slum dwellers encroaching on its path and exploiting its water for domestic and commercial purposes.
The World Bank had previously warned that lack of clean water can impede a country's economic growth by a third, and Nema's actions demonstrate a commitment to addressing this critical issue.
