Nairobi Dam Waste Impact Tour
The water does not negotiate. Where it is blocked, it backs up; where waste piles, it stains everything downstream — homes, dreams, the quiet pride people hold for a neighbourhood the map often misreads. On this day, the Nairobi Rivers Commission, led by Chairperson Dr Pamela Olet, with Commissioners Dr Duncan Ojwang and Grace Messoppir, set out to see that truth up close.
They were joined by engineers from the Shanghai Municipal Engineering Design Institute (SMEDI), by ETCO CEO Collince Onyango, by community leaders, and by representatives from the Ngong River Regeneration Network. The route read like a list of places Kibera carries in muscle memory: Area 51 at Sarang’ombe Bridge, Soweto West Bridge, Kibera South Hospital Bridge, and finally Nairobi Dam itself — each stop a different angle on the same crisis.
Before the tour, Dr Olet had flagged off the Climate Worx Mtaani initiative at the Kibra DC office — a signal that government intent and community labour would move on the same calendar, not in separate diaries. The day ended at the Nairobi Dam outlet in Nyayo Highrise, where the group stood with notebooks and phones, measuring impact not in speeches but in what waste does to people who live past the last bend.
We share this tour not for applause but for accountability. If you live along these tributaries, keep reporting what you see. If you can fund safe collection or youth wages, talk to us. The dam will not heal from shame alone — it needs money, design, and neighbours who refuse to look away.
Project Site Visit by Rotary Club of IPSWICH (USA) and Kikuyu (Kenya)
It was a great and engaging day of partnership and learning as we hosted the International Rotary Club of IPSWICH team, led by Environmental Lawyer Chris and his wife, Jane, Former President of Rotary Club of Kikuyu Hon. George Ngotho and Rotarian Yumbya for a visit to our project implementation sites. The visit provided an opportunity to review the project areas on the ground, discuss implementation priorities, and strengthen our shared commitment to sustainable environmental and community development. We also had the opportunity to visit the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC), where we were hosted by Commissioner Dr. Loice Kipkorir, a member of the Ngong River Committee. We explored opportunities to strengthen collaboration and align our work with the Nairobi Rivers Commission's Restoration Framework.
Community Capacity Building Training
We are currently participating in the ongoing PROVE (Public Space Governance Research, Observation, Validation and Experimentation) Pilot Programme, a four-month initiative by Public Space Networks (PSN) bringing together 11 community groups from Kamukunji and Korogocho. The programme focuses on strengthening community organizations’ capacity to manage, protect and improve public spaces as well as restoring rivers and it's ecosystems. The ongoing capacity-building training is helping CBOs and community organizations better understand the connection between public spaces, river restoration and ecosystem conservation, while exploring practical approaches and stronger collaboration among communities, government agencies, development partners and other stakeholders.
High Level NRC & Development Partners Meeting
Representing the Ngong River Regeneration Network, I'm having the privilege of attending a high-level breakfast meeting convened by the Nairobi Rivers Commission (NRC) in collaboration with the Kenya Permanent Mission to UN-Habitat. The meeting has brought together Development Partners, Government Agencies, Private Sector representatives, and Community representatives to deliberate on the restoration and sustainable management of Nairobi’s rivers.