This archive report was first published on 18 December 2019.
On a sunny day in early June, I walked onto the University of Nairobi campus, eager to start a new story. The recent deaths of prominent Kenyans from cancer had left the nation searching for answers. As a journalist, I knew I had a great story idea and was looking for partners to help me execute it.
The statistics were alarming: respiratory diseases had surpassed malaria as the most deadly ailment in Kenya, with 21 million cases reported in the previous year alone. I was determined to find out what role pollution played in this changing disease burden.
My investigation led me to Nairobi River, which had become an open sewer, with estates like Lavington and slums like Kibera and Mukuru dumping their waste into it. I knew the river carried toxic substances, but I needed to know which ones and how they were affecting the people of Kenya.
Could the pollution explain the spike in cancer and respiratory diseases? Were the toxins finding their way onto dinner tables, causing anaemia, kidney and liver damage? I knew I needed the help of scientists to provide some answers.
After weeks of planning, I finally set out on June 19 with a team of 11 experts to follow Nairobi River from its source in Ondiri Swamp to the Indian Ocean. It was a two-month journey that would take us through treacherous terrain, harsh weather, and long days of fieldwork.
Our project, 'Toxic Flow,' was a strenuous and expensive endeavor, but I was determined to uncover the truth about Nairobi River's relationship with disease cases in Kenya.
Tomorrow, we'll continue our journey to River Sabaki.
