Care for Environment
Morning light catches plastic snagged in reeds along the Ngong River corridor, and the smell of damp soil rises where neighbours have already begun raking debris into sacks. This is not a distant conservation poster — it is work done in boots, with wheelbarrows, by people who live beside the water.
With support from the German Embassy, UN-Habitat, EcoWB, and Power Engineers, ETCO is walking alongside local groups to clean and restore stretches of the river. Community teams focus on their own sections — clearing channels, sorting waste, and testing ideas that turn a grim chore into safer neighbourhoods and small openings for work.
A Saturday that moves more than rubbish
The effort sits inside Nairobi’s wider “Let the Rivers Flow” push by the Nairobi Rivers Commission — a reminder that a river that breathes helps everyone downstream. On 20 November 2023, ETCO hosted a cleanup along Nairobi Dam tributaries in Nyayo Highrise Ward, inviting partners who care about the Ngong River staying healthy enough to support the city’s reservoir.
Along the Ngong, local groups work their own patches — not as strangers to the problem, but as people who know which bend traps plastic after rain and which footpaths children use on the way to school. That local focus is how fresh ideas show up: better sorting, safer burning where it must happen, odd jobs for youth who need a day’s pay, and a cleaner channel for the next person walking downstream.
Rivers do not fix themselves behind desks. If you want cleaner channels before the next heavy rain, join the next community sweep — gloves on, sleeves rolled, room for one more pair of hands.
Day 1 Unclogging
Day 1. Today, ETCO in collaboration with the Nairobi Rivers Commission, Phase 3 and Canaan Estate Management, commenced efforts to address the long-standing drainage blockage at the Phase 3 Market Stalls. While this intervention provides a short-term solution to the recurring blockage that frequently causes flooding and related challenges in both Phase 3 and Canaan Estate, as well as inconveniences road users accessing Kibera through Nyayo Highrise Ward via Kibera Access Road, we strongly urge the management of both estates to establish a regular maintenance schedule for the culverts to prevent future clogging. With the anticipated El Niño rains, proactive preparedness is essential to minimize the risk of further property damage, flooding, stormwater-related impacts, and potential loss of life. These ongoing efforts form part of our commitment to protecting the environment, improving drainage systems, and ensuring that rivers and waterways flow freely without obstruction.
Day of an African Child (DAC) - Planning Meeting
Kibera Gender Advocacy Network (KGAN) Meeting at Umande Trust Office to plan for the Day Of an African Child (DAC) on the 16TH June 2026. ETCO is a member organization.
Ngong River Regeneration Network - Zone (1-6)
The Ngong River Regeneration Network Zone Coordinators (Zones 1–6) held a productive meeting with the Commissioners representing the Ngong River, chaired by Commissioner Benjamin Langwen, alongside Commissioners John Kioli and Dr. Loice Jepkemboi Kipkiror, together with Inspector Ashford - NRC Secretariat. The meeting was highly engaging and inspiring, leaving us even more energized and committed to advancing the river restoration agenda. Together, we reaffirmed our shared commitment to not only regenerating our rivers, but also promoting a cleaner environment, encouraging food production through downstream farming, and creating sustainable job opportunities through riverine activities. #NgongRiverRestoration #NairobiRivers #EnvironmentalConservation #RiverRegeneration #ClimateAction #CommunityEmpowerment #GreenJobs