‘That’s A Fallacy!’ – Duale Says Informal Settlements Can’t Pollute Nairobi River, Blames Middle-Class
Environment Cabinet Secretary Aden Duale has identified middle-class households, industries, and large corporations as the primary sources of pollution in the Nairobi River.
Speaking to the National Assembly on Wednesday, Duale emphasized that the narrative blaming informal settlements for the river’s degradation is misleading and ignores the true culprits.
CS Duale refuted the notion that informal settlements are to blame for Nairobi River pollution, claiming that these communities generate little waste due to 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.
In addressing pollution in Nairobi River and other urban water bodies, we are targeting the main offenders, which include industries and middle-class residents who defy environmental regulations.
— Hon. Aden Duale, EGH (@HonAdenDuale) October 3, 2024
The ministry is committed to enforcing environmental laws by utilizing legal… pic.twitter.com/7Fe8JARepS
Instead, he blamed 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 stated that pollution from industrial and commercial activities has been extensively mapped by the National Environment Management Authority(NEMA).
According to him, NEMA has identified 145 industries, factories, slaughterhouses, and apartment complexes that dump 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.
Furthermore, the Cabinet Secretary identified the Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and the Athi Water and Sewerage Company as major contributors to pollution.
He noted that these entities frequently allow raw sewage to enter the river.
“The greatest polluters are Nairobi Water and Sewerage Company and Athi Water and Sewerage Company,” he remarked.
“Their manholes discharge raw sewage into Nairobi River. In fact, we don’t have a river, we have sewage.”
The CS also addressed the issue of illegal dumpsites along the riverbanks, claiming that thousands exist along the 47-kilometer stretch from Kikuyu to Thwake Dam in Makueni.
These dumpsites, he said, are a major source of pollution, with trucks regularly emptying garbage into the river.
“On Sunday, trucks were in Mukuru Kwa Njenga carrying garbage, discharging it into the river,” said Duale, referring to a conversation with Governor Johnson Sakaja.
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“And I have told the Governor of Nairobi, he must remove dumpsites along Nairobi River.”
Duale emphasized the importance of strict enforcement of environmental laws and held various organizations accountable for their failures in waste management.
He issued a stern directive to NEMA’s Director-General, Mamo B. Mamo, urging him to uphold the law without compromise.
“I directed the NEMA Director-General to enforce the laws passed by this House. He has no choice. Mamo must enforce,” he stated.
‘That’s A Fallacy!’ – Duale Says Informal Settlements Can’t Pollute Nairobi River, Blames Middle-Class
