This archive report was first published on 16 September 2019.
As part of efforts to unclog Nairobi's drainage system, the county has put traders who have erected stalls on drainage and sewer lines on notice to vacate and seek alternative spaces to do business.
The traders, particularly those in slum areas, have been accused of frustrating efforts to maintain a clean environment through the dumping of solid waste.
Nairobi County Environment executive Vesca Kangongo said that the traders have irregularly erected racks and stalls on the lines, causing environmental pollution.
“Most of the illegal dumping is done by traders selling vegetables, bananas, maize and electronic traders within residential estates. The traders are expected to have dust bins for their waste but majority of them have defied,” said Ms Kangogo.
She emphasized that the county does not plan to frustrate efforts by young entrepreneurs to make ends meet, but it wants to maintain a clean environment for them to operate in.
Early this year, Governor Mike Sonko directed his officers to fully implement the Nairobi City County Solid Waste Management Act to address such cases of perennial pollution of the environment.
The county has set aside Sh2.7 billion in the current financial year for expansion of water and sewerage infrastructure, and the unclogging of drainage systems within Nairobi City estates and major highways is still ongoing.
