08/09/2026
Today, KAM Chief Executive Tobias Alando joined development partners and the government at a roundtable organized by the Nairobi Rivers Commission, focused on the Nairobi Rivers Regeneration agenda and aimed at restoring the Nairobi River.
Speaking at the forum, Mr. Alando affirmed the private sector's commitment to supporting the Nairobi Rivers regeneration project, saying, "Dignifying the lives of our citizens is something that everyone should support. As the private sector, we appreciate that a cleaner environment supports cleaner businesses."
Alice Wahome, Cabinet Secretary for Lands, Public Works, Housing and Urban Development, highlighted the challenges facing the Nairobi rivers, including pollution, inadequate sanitation, solid waste, flooding, encroachment, and unplanned development. She noted that the rivers are a vital part of the city's natural infrastructure, supporting drainage and wider ecosystem services and that pollution has destroyed livelihoods and damaged the health of communities living along them. She added that the regeneration effort is an opportunity to position the project as an adaptable model for urban planning across Africa, ahead of COP31.
Dr. Deborah Barasa, Cabinet Secretary for Environment, Climate Change and Forestry, spoke about Mazingira Day, calling on Kenyans to plant trees and restore the national landscape ecosystem to ensure food security, water security, improved biodiversity and better livelihoods. She called for partnerships for accountability.
River basins are critical to ecological networks, and if left unprotected, could compromise water security, public health, biodiversity, and climate resilience. The Nairobi River regeneration programme serves as a practical model for moving from ecological vulnerability to sustainable urban development through an integrated catchment-to-basin approach.
The roundtable underscored the shared responsibility of government, private sector, and development partners in restoring the Nairobi River, an effort that stands to benefit both public health and economic growth in the city.
