World Toilets Day
On 19 November 2024, upstream Ngong River was not an abstract line on a map — it was a two-day argument for dignity. The Ngong River Regeneration Network had already walked the lanes on the 18th, talking beside pit latrines and broken drains, then gathered tables and tents where engineers, nuns, and pit emptiers shared the same shade.
Cabinet Secretary Eng. Eric Murithi Mugaa moved through the exhibitions with the Nairobi Rivers Commission team under new chairperson Hon. Bishop Margaret Wanjiru — boots on uneven ground, county officers taking notes, community members pointing at maps they had drawn themselves.
Zone 2 at the table
Our Zone 2 stand drew a crowd — a masterplan for Nairobi Dam’s tributaries laid flat, colour-coded where pollution still wins. Collince Onyango, coordinator of Zone 2 and CEO of ETCO, walked visitors through what the river smells like after rain and what it costs a family when a toilet fails.
The CS promised to prioritise Ngong’s restoration and urged residents to guard sanitation like rent. In a pit-emptiers’ challenge, men lifted burdens no speech should romanticise — then talked about safer tools and fair pay.
Help us hold officials to that promise — come to the next Zone 2 public walk with your phone camera and your landlord’s number; evidence still moves the queue.
Engaging Children through Feeding Program
Thanks to Chris and Jayne, ETCO had a warm feeding program for children at our new office—bringing joy, a good meal, and community together in Kibera.
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.