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.

The rainy season is on.

The much unwanted rainy season by Nairobians is on and a little early this season.

This time the rains have began on middle of February unlike earlier on when it stars to pour at around March. Considering that this is the long rains season it is becoming a nightmare for most city residents to swallow this bitter truth.

Those from the eastern part of the city who are the majority hate this season because of the shortcomings brought about by it. Most who work at the industrial area rely on the public transport.

Some commute as far as from Kariobangi to make it to work before 8am. Now with this rain the bus fare keeps on escalating with a lot of uncertainty. At one time the bus fare can hike from 20 bob to 200 bob depending with the rains.

For a female employee who is married and two children, she has to wake in the wee hours to prepare for the day. According to Anne Kwamboka, who lives at Umoja estate, “I have to be up by 4am. Prepare packed lunch for my girls first born class three and the second class one.”

“At around 5am I have to wake the girls and shower them as they prepare for school. Thirty minutes later everyone is ready having taken breakfast. Am lucky because my daughters school at Umoja primary where my husband is a librarian.”

During the rainy season, traffic jams in the city can take hours without moving as everyone is in the rush. This trickles down the ladder causing even the innocent kids their sleep as illustrated by the case of Anne Kwamboka.

According to the Umoinner Matatu association chairman John Kamau, he says the reason of hiking the bus fare is because it proves hectic to operate during the rain. “Everyone is in rush to be out of town. To deal with this crazy demand for transport services is to set the bus fare at high to limit those travelling.”

The rains again cause the sewer line to burst leaving roads messed up with human waste. This is even worse at the central business district as the waste floods on the pavement. This leaves no place for people to work on and even worse exposing them to health risks.

If it were the wishes of most city residents they would want the rain to go and never return as it cost them than the benefit they leap from the same.