Garbage disposal into Nairobi River killing city residents, says study

A section of the Nairobi River. A new report says many residents are falling ill because of waste disposal into the river. [Photo: File]

The river that gave birth to the city is now threatening to be the cause of its death. Nairobi River streams down the city’s suburbs and informal estates in agony, choking under the weight of garbage.

While in other modern cities a river’s banks would have been prime land for building posh homes, in Nairobi, only street children and uncaring business people dare operate near the river bank. Just as Nairobi’s dream of getting fresh fish right in the city got real, with mudfish (kamongo) already breeding in some sections of the river, exponential population growth shot it down.