From Pollution to Renewal: Nairobi Embarks on Ambitious River Regeneration Project to Reclaim the City’s Environmental Spine.

From Pollution to Renewal: Nairobi Embarks on Ambitious River Regeneration Project to Reclaim the City’s Environmental Spine.

From left: County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi, Maureen Njeri, and Lt. Col. Kahigu Njoroge of the Nairobi Rivers Commission address the media at Kamukunji, Nairobi, on the county’s bold plan to restore and transform the Nairobi River into a thriving urban ecosystem.

By Jeff Silas

Nairobi - October 10, 2025.

The Nairobi City County Government has stepped up efforts to revive the city’s polluted rivers through the multibillion-shilling Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme, an ambitious plan to clean, rehabilitate and transform the waterways into thriving green corridors and public spaces.

Speaking at Kamukunji during an inspection of ongoing works, County Executive Committee Member for Green Nairobi Maureen Njeri said the project marks a turning point for a city that has long struggled with pollution, encroachment and poor waste management.

“For decades, Nairobi’s rivers have been neglected, polluted and treated as dumping sites,” Njeri said. “This project is one we have been waiting for as a city for many years. It gives us a chance to turn the rivers into clean, accessible and vibrant public spaces.”

The Green Nairobi sector which covers environment, water, food and agriculture has been working closely with the Nairobi Rivers Commission in implementing the regeneration plan. The county’s role includes providing technical guidance, availing public land along the river corridor and ensuring waste removal and supervision of the works.

She noted that the county has intensified waste collection and enforcement to curb illegal dumping, especially around Kamukunji, a hotspot for garbage accumulation.

“We are bringing in new trucks, equipment and contractors to improve waste collection across the city,” she said. “Residents also have to take responsibility for the waste they generate. Many people don’t know where their garbage ends up once it leaves their homes, that has to change.”

She disclosed that plans to decommission the Dandora dumpsite are at an advanced stage as part of long-term waste management reforms. The strategy includes improving collection systems, treatment and recycling to reduce the volume of waste ending up in Dandora and ultimately in the rivers downstream.

The regeneration programme also includes a massive overhaul of Nairobi’s aging sewer system. For the first time since the 1970s, a new trunk sewer line is being installed along the river to intercept wastewater and prevent direct discharge into the waterways.

“The existing network is dilapidated and outdated,” She stated. “This new infrastructure will help us manage sewage more efficiently and stop the contamination of our rivers.”

The sewer works have already begun in areas including Dandora and Kamukunji, and are expected to be completed by 2027.

Lieutenant Colonel Kahigu Njoroge, a senior official from the Nairobi Rivers Commission, described the regeneration programme as “a bold step by the government to reclaim the city’s environmental spine.”

The KSh 45 billion project, fully funded by the Government of Kenya, brings together multiple agencies including the Ministry of Defence, Athi Water Works Development Authority, Kenya Urban Roads Authority, Kenya National Highways Authority and Kenya Forest Service under a whole-of-government approach.

“This is not just a cleanup,” Njoroge said. “It is a complete transformation that will turn the rivers from Nairobi’s backyards into its new front yards.”

The programme’s five key pillars include expanding and reinforcing riverbanks to prevent erosion and flooding, installing twin trunk sewers capable of handling demand up to 2065, building bridges and non-motorised walkways from Dandora Falls to Naivasha Road to promote safe pedestrian movement, protecting springs and wetlands that feed the rivers, and developing riverside parks and recreational areas to give the people of Nairobi more green spaces.

Local communities are playing a central role in the initiative. The Kamukunji Environment Conservation Champions, a community-based organisation, have worked alongside government agencies to maintain the park and advocate for its restoration.

Chairman Kamukunji Environment Conservation Champions CBO, Josephat Karomi said the project has transformed the area both environmentally and socially.

“This programme has empowered our youth who were once idle or involved in crime,” Karomi said. “Today, many of them are earning a living through the regeneration work.”

He added that the upgraded Kamukunji Park will soon feature a modern football pitch, changing rooms, toilets and a multipurpose field. Local football club Shoremo United, recently promoted to Division Two, will use the grounds for its home matches helping sustain the park through gate collections.

The park, a historic site of the 1990s Saba Saba rallies, will also be transformed into a cultural and heritage space through the creation of a Freedom Horn, featuring art installations, a mini-museum and an open-air amphitheatre symbolising “voice, struggle and change.”

Officials believe the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Programme will not only clean the waterways but also redefine the city’s relationship with nature.

“We want the people of Nairobi to walk along clean rivers, enjoy green spaces and see the rivers as part of the city’s pride not its shame,” Njeri said.

The ambitious plan spanning from Oloolua Springs to Dandora is expected to restore Nairobi’s rivers into thriving ecological and social corridors, turning what was once an eyesore into a lifeline for urban renewal and sustainable living.