This archive report was first published on 27 August 2019.
On August 27, 2019, the Kenyan government took a significant step towards restoring the polluted Nairobi River by closing down Sameer Agricultural and Livestock Limited, a major dairy firm in East Africa.
The company, which produces Daima-branded dairy products, including liquid milk, fermented milk, and yoghurt, was found to be discharging untreated effluent into the public sewerage system.
As part of the crackdown on non-compliant industries, the operations manager of Sameer was arrested during a morning raid.
The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) launched the operation on May 8, 2019, with the aim of restoring the highly polluted Nairobi River.
According to NEMA's Acting Director General, Mamo Boru Mamo, 48 industries along the Nairobi River had been closed down as of August 27, 2019, as part of the rapid response initiative.
