Nairobi Rivers Clean up Invitation
Nairobi residents — this was our call to the city: come to the grand launch of the Nairobi Rivers clean-up on 23 September, from 9 a.m., at Gatina–Kawangware. ETCO, EcoWB, and Power Engineers partnered with the Nairobi Rivers Commission and the Water Resources Authority to mark the start of “Let The Rivers Flow” — a practical step before heavy El Niño rains, when open channels matter more than speeches.
ETCO offered transport from our office in Nyayo Highrise Ward (Soweto East Village) for those who needed it, with space for the first sixty people who responded. We asked for name, ID number, phone number, and area — details sent by inbox before midnight on 22 September 2023.
We framed the day as a first step before El Niño — not fearmongering, but practicality. Open channels carry less filth, reduce pockets where mosquitoes breed, and lower the chances that a sudden downpour turns a lane into a river you cannot cross. Environmental care here is also household safety: fewer children balancing on slippery edges on the way to fetch water.
That date has passed, but the habit it pointed to has not: show up for the river before the storm shows up for you. Watch ETCO channels for the next cleanup — gloves still matter, and neighbours still do.
If you missed that bus, you did not miss the point — Nairobi’s rivers still need regular citizens who hate the smell enough to act. Ask us when the next convoy leaves Nyayo; we would rather fill a minibus with tired, happy volunteers than fill another inbox with excuses.
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.