The government is implementing a major river regeneration programme covering 175 kilometres of waterways across five counties, with plans to install trunk sewer lines, rehabilitate riparian land and create public spaces as part of efforts to transform Nairobi into a cleaner and more liveable city.
Principal Secretary for Internal Security and National Administration Raymond Omollo said the Nairobi River Basin Regeneration Programme (NaBREP) was central to the government’s urban renewal agenda under the Usawa ni Sawa commitment.
The programme covers Nairobi, Kiambu, Machakos, Makueni and Kajiado counties, targeting the Nairobi, Ngong, Mathare and Stony Athi rivers, alongside seven major tributaries, from Ondiri Swamp to Dandora Falls.
Omollo said the initiative was intended to reclaim degraded river systems, address pollution and restore surrounding spaces for environmental conservation, recreation and economic activities.
“The Nairobi River Basin Regeneration Programme is central to this effort, seeking to reclaim the river system and its surrounding spaces as clean, safe and productive public assets,” he said.
The programme is being coordinated by the Nairobi Rivers Commission, with implementation led by the Ministry of Defence in partnership with Nairobi City County and the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company.
One of the major interventions involves the construction of two 27-kilometre trunk sewer lines along the northern and southern banks of the Nairobi River.
