Nairobi River

In the early days of railway construction, Nairobi river was a tented camp for the Kenya-Uganda railway workers. It had cool and clean water that would then be considered safe for drinking. Back then an ecosystem thrived on this river since it was a source of life.

Narobi river and settlement around it.

Today the story is different as the ecosystem has been altered by human settlement in the city over a century long. Considering all the informal settlement there is in Nairobi, and the industrial discharge it is not a surprise when someone mistakes this river for a sewage system.

When the late John Michuki was the minister for Environment, he had proposed that all people living in the riparian area be relocated, he said that this the only way to reclaim the city river.
Apart from industrial and domestic waste that is discharged into the river, other affluent comes from agricultural activities and car wash runoff water.

Discharge from other places into the river

The boreholes within the Nairobi river basin are also in danger of contamination. Some harmful elements in the rivers will eventually seep through the layers of soil into the ground water system.

The plastic bags

They are our daily wrapping materials for our  products that we buy or even carry from home. By now you should have a clue of what am talking about. I am writing about miss polythene.

Whenever I visit the supermarket goods are packed by an attendant using a plastic bag popularly known as ‘juala’ as an after sale service. Most people  value these branded paper bags with names of their favorite one stop shop without getting concerned with environment impact over time.

polythene bags littered

  

But are these papers harmful to our environment? The answer is definitely yes. This is because these papers are non-biodegradable materials that result to pilling up over time forming heaps and heaps of trash.

Plastic bags are from the same source as all plastic: crude oil. Like everything else manufactured from this non-renewable resource, it has two major drawbacks: in the manufacturing process it emits considerable amounts of pollution, and the product is not biodegradable. 

As of August 2010, between 500 billion and 1 trillion plastic bags are being used each year worldwide.

Approximately 100,000 sea turtles and other marine animals die every year because they mistake the bags for food or get strangled in them. More often livestock die due to swallowing of the same bags.

Thanks to Nairobi County government which now seeks to ban the use of plastic bags if the proposed Bill to regulate the use is enacted into Law.

These plastic bags should at least be kept in check in order not to knock our environment off balance.

THE SMOKY ZONE

A habit is like a disease that is one of the well-known phrases among those who happened to be in an English class. Smoking is one of those habits that eventually confine one to a lifetime commitment if the habit is not tamed.

smoking zone in CBD

I have a very close friend in fact a fellow in my trade who has fought this habit for the last six years. Actually am relaxed at last for his birthday resolution to drop the habit.

Smokers cause a lot of pollution ranging from self-pollution to environmental. One stick of a cigarette contains about 700 chemical substances. From my close observation of this friend of mine he could smoke around 3 sticks during the day. Please note that at night I could not tell how many.

Let us give him 5 sticks in 24 hours. When you multiply 700 by 5 it equates to 3500 substances within 24 hours. With or without much scientific knowledge one can easily tell the underlying danger with smoking with such simple arithmetic.

The second form of smoking occurs whenever a smoker does it in public places exposing others to those pollutants. The people next to them smoke as secondary smokers when the smoke is released into the atmosphere.

Smoking in public in Kenya was banned and smoking zones were introduced for the sake of those who smoke.

In Nairobi CBD there are areas secured where the thirst for a cigar is quenched. You should at least visit one of these zones to witness.

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THE FORGOTTEN MUTHURWA

traders and  buyers in the market

Muthurwa market is one of Nairobi’s busiest markets with products ranging from clothing, utensils to agricultural goods. It is located along Haile Selasie Avenue  opposite to the popular bus station ‘OTC.’

This market has suffered a great deal due to the accumulation of filth that results from the activities of traders and buyers. It is much worse during the rainy season as there is literally no place for trading.

 During this time, the pathways are impassible due to thick black stinky fluid. This leaves a lot of questions as to the manner in which the daily business is conducted by these determined Kenyans.

filth in Muthurwa

But why is this happening so and these traders pay taxes to the City Council who come to collect the monies on a daily basis? It is the high time that public health officers should shake up things in this market.

It’s very disturbing that a ‘mama kiosk’ is dishing out meals to an impatient customer whose hunger has blinded him from seeing the pending health hazards around the hotel.

The most affected section of this market is the agricultural goods segment as it deals with biodegradable products. This dirt should be collected by the city council  on a daily basis as accumulation of it leads to a disharmony of activities in the market place.

The city council should tidy this place considering the amount of taxes they collect on a single day and of course in meeting their national obligation.

the situation of paths in rainy season

THE UHURU PARK

The Uhuru gardens is a recreational park in Kenya's capital located at Lang'ata Road, Nairobi Kenya. It is a piece of 12.9 hectares of land just next to Nairobi's Central Business District. It is managed by the County government of Nairobi.

main entrance to the park

It is the largest memorial park in Kenya opened by the late founding President Mzee Jomo Kenyatta in the year 1969 on 23rd of May. It is also worth noting that it was here that the first inauguration took place.
This park has a lot of memories pertaining Kenya particularly this time that we are commemorating 50 years of self rule.

 

the independence monument

The park have several notable features and the most outstanding being the 24 metres high monument commemorating Kenya's struggle for Independence.
There is also an artificial lake which is used for boat riding.  During the weekend you will meet families around this spot enjoying boat riding.

courtesy; www.jambonairobi.co.ke, the artificial lake

There is also an assembly ground where political and religious rallies take place. It is also used by skateboard lovers for their sporting activities.

a past rally at the park

However it is worth noting that this piece of beautiful natural serene at hte heart of Nairobi was up for grabs in 1989 were it not for the Late Professor Wangari Maathai's intervention. The government under former President Daniel Toroitich Arap Moi wanted to construct a 60 story building which vividlyu could have eliminated that piece of beauty from Nairobi.

KEEP IT TIDY

 From an areal view of Nairobi City it is a wonderful place to be but the reality on the streets is much different from that
The beautiful and tidy streets of Nairobi city are continually becoming subjected to uncleanliness.

Tidy City Street

This follows an observation made over the last two months in spite of the City council's effort to tidy the  C.B.D.

 But why is this happening considering the strategic positioning of the dustbins around the Central Business District?

Dustbin located at KENCOM bus station

This new trend in the City could be aggravated due to laziness and being irresponsible to your Capital City. Considering the placement of the dustbin along every street around the C.B.D no citizen should portray the unwanted behavior by the City council. 












In a past event late last year our president demonstrated a lot of enthusiasm to our City by participating in the cleaning exercise called upon by the governor of Nairobi, Evans Kidero. 
 

His Excellency the President Muigai Kenyatta and First Lady Margeret Kenyatta and other leaders.

 

Let us follow the example that our President His excellency Muigai Kenyatta set by tidying up this great capital of ours.


let us take pride of our capital city Nairobi by keeping it tidy whenever possible.

TRANQUILITY IN NAIROBI

Ever been to Nairobi Arboretum Park?

This is one of Nairobi’s serene environments where you get to hear the birds singing their melodies. It is a couple’s get out location for those who love the forest surrounding.

Pathways around the Arboretum

The air in this park is just out of Nairobi’s polluted atmosphere as the trees here do the magic of replenishing it. There is also a cool breeze sweeping from down town to this upper part of the city.

The quiet environment in this place is just out of Nairobi’s regular noise ranging from vehicle honks to industry machine.

The temperatures of this environment are super cool due to the vegetation cover and the tress that provide the shades through the park.

It is however worth noting some facts about this park which is a favorite spot for Nairobi residents.

The Nairobi Arboretum Picnic site sits on 30 hectares of land and comprises of indigenous and planted trees. It’s interesting to note that the Picnic site was started to provide fuel for train that was steam powered in the early 1902.

This picnic site has highest number of trees planted than the indigenous if so why not duplicate every other of our environment and make it a picnic site.

 For more on Nairobi Arboretum:http://www.jambonairobi.co.ke

ATMOSPHERIC POLLUTION IN NAIROBI CITY

vehicles releasing fumes into the atmosphere

Have you ever taken a close look of the city horizons at dawn when darkness is creeping in?

It could be shocking just how the city atmosphere is polluted with fumes of  burning materials ranging from all hydrocarbons . 

These fumes rise into the atmosphere creating clouds of dark smoke that cause visual hindrances.

On Monday 17^th February, at around 7pm as we were heading home with a colleague, that is when I noticed just how the atmosphere is polluted. At a distance of 100 meters, dark fumes could be seen rising to the sky.

Just think of all the vehicles that come to the city every day. These vehicles that mostly use diesel as fuel release a lot of fumes of dark smoke into the air.

foggy atmosphere due to pollutant gases

This fumes are as a result of incomplete combustion of these hydrocarbon products. When these hydrocarbons are burnt with limited supply of oxygen, it results to incomplete combustion releasing carbon dioxide and carbon monoxide.

Burning of plastics also contributes to a greater extent in the pollution of the ozone layer. They are made of hydrocarbons hence contributing to the same pollution effect like engine fuels.

How can all these pollutants and human beings co-exist? According to environmental scientist, trees help in the elimination of these harmful gases from our atmosphere.

The most effective way to manage a degrading atmosphere due to human activities is by planting of more tress in order to eliminate these gases.

plants and vegetation cover should be encouraged in every part of the city in order to counter the hazards that results from these gases.