Nairobi’s communities turning rivers into battleground for change

In a historic step towards sustainable urban development, communities in Kangemi and Dagoretti have reached a landmark agreement with the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC) on the implementation of the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration Program (NRRP).

The consultative meeting, held on 10th November 2025 at the NRC Boardroom, brought together local leaders, landowners, and government representatives, coordinated by Hon. Antony Karanja, MCA for Waithaka and Minority Leader of the Nairobi City County Government.

The forum emphasised a shared commitment to advancing the NRRP while respecting the rights and interests of local landowners and communities.

Participants underscored the need for continuous public engagement and collaborative planning to address concerns over riparian areas, development regulations, and Special Planning Area (SPA) guidelines.

Tackling Nairobi’s environmental and urban challenges

The NRRP is designed to confront the multiple environmental and urban pressures facing Nairobi. Rapid expansion of informal settlements along riverbanks, coupled with severe housing shortages, has created substandard living conditions for many residents.

Nairobi’s sewerage system, constructed in 1965 for a population of 350,000, now struggles to serve over 5.3 million residents, a figure projected to hit 20 million by 2053 leading to inadequate drainage and waste management infrastructure.

These conditions have increased public health risks, with polluted waterways and uncontrolled discharge of industrial and household effluents threatening communities.

Encroachment of riparian zones and irregular construction have led to illegal raw sewage discharge, while insufficient solid waste management, particularly around the Dandora Dumpsite, compounds environmental hazards.

The city is also facing declines in biodiversity and habitat degradation, such as in the Ondiri Wetland, the source of the Nairobi River, alongside rising flood risks amplified by climate change.

The NRRP aims to address these complex challenges through comprehensive river rehabilitation, sustainable urban planning, and community-inclusive interventions.

Clarifying landowner rights

Arch. Musuvo Mumo, Deputy Commissioner of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, highlighted the importance of collaboration with local stakeholders.

We will work with Water Resources Authority, NEMA, and other agencies together with landowners to determine the true high-water mark and the correct riparian. That is the proper process.

He clarified that private land within riparian zones remains the property of landowners, albeit with usage limits.

The fact that the riparian sits within your land does not mean it is not your land. It simply means there are limits to what you can do within that area.

Arch. Mumo added that the planning process would guide development policies.

Planning is a process, and the policies that come out of it will guide what can or cannot be built close to the river.

Sustained community engagement

Hon. Antony Karanja emphasised the forum’s role in bridging political leadership and citizen participation.

The original idea when we came here was to demystify some of the things you have heard, and that is exactly what has happened. From here, we will move to shorter spans where you live. Together with the Nairobi Rivers Team, we will organise even smaller citizen engagement meetings.

Bishop Wanjiru, Chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission, welcomed the collaborative spirit and reiterated plans to revisit policies that had previously caused community distress.

We have had positive and insightful engagements with the communities from Kangemi and Dagoretti. We have agreed to re-examine the laws governing NRRP’s work that were of distress to them with the intention of reviewing them with public participation, such as the SPA.

Community leaders echoed the call for increased youth involvement through initiatives like Climate WorX, recognising that the success of the NRRP depends on inclusive participation.