It would not elude us to emphatically affirm that our environment is the inkwell of hope that advertently scribbles the destiny of every organism that thrives within it. Nairobi River is part of the wider global ecosystem that (in its former glory of utter virgin natural state before pollution) used to be a home to several communities of different species of organisms. By the fact that this river is an ecosystem that contributes to the prevailing environmental situations in the wider globe, it should be jealously guarded for posterity conservation and sustainability for both immediate ecosystem and the peripheral ethereal ecosystem.
Even though, as Kenyans, we take pride as the only African country that headquarters the United Nations’ office – that is the United Nations Environmental Programs – much has not been achieved in terms of environmental fringe benefits and services that a country, logically, ought to glean from such feat.
This contentment that is born out of suppressing our longings leads to empty platitudes at best and bitter hypocrisy that deludes the aspirations as a healthy-ambience-loving populace at the worst continuum. Therefore, denying the longings that reside in our hearts under the guise of contentment of headquartering an edifice of the stature of UNEP does not in itself serve the craving of attaining a clean environment.
The social and economic value of a full seasonal town-river crossing through a capital city cannot be wished off in the presence of topnotch world acclaimed environmentalists patronizing the country courtesy of the UNEP offices. Currently, there cannot be any authentic value for the waters of this important river. In the utmost words of the legendary Thomas Sankara we must choose either Champaign for just a few or drinking water for all. It would be commendable if UNEP could help us attain clean drinking water from the natural source as Nairobi River, than leaving it to flow under the unpleasant weight of sludge. Sankara’s clarion call couldn’t have been evoked at such a time as this and expressly laid at the doorsteps of UNEP. I am well convinced that, at its status, it is only UNEP that has the requisite environmental bandwidth to salvage Nairobi River from its chaotic state. This is not only because of the fine brains that have endeavored in nurturing global environmental health, but the financial resources that the institution has and could marshal so as to channeled towards its rehabilitation. In so doing, the river could be once again allowed to blossom in an atmosphere that respects and conserves nature.
To put it cogently, the state of Nairobi River is pathetic as at now. It gasps under the chokehold of garbage and sewage making it just a cesspool of morass and stench. The state of the river speaks to its lowly neglect so much so that it no longer bears the fingerprints of the Divine maker. Such a state of environmental miasma should not pervade a city that hosts the world’s leading environmental steward without an inkling of concern by the very steward. And if UNEP were cognizant of the state of affairs of the river, then it’s the high time they acted in a manner that suggested that the world custodian of environment was well etched in its headquarters and was equally on top of its very game.
Even though such an undertaking may not have the backing of UNEP’s area of jurisdiction in terms of where to directly channel its personnel and other relevant resources, it would be logical for UNEP to treat this matter as an exceptional one as it only speaks to home-keeping (headquarter-keeping). Much as the concrete jungle of Nairobi City is also bulging at a breakneck speed and shrinking the rivers important floodplains, its riparian cannot be implicitly defined. The country is fast losing an important heritage because of the government’s irresponsibility and complacence with the environmental deliquescent. The government seems to have gone into bed with private developers and jettisoned environmental ethics through the windows of corruption enjoying the warm bosom of heists at the expense of clean healthy environment.
To this end, UNEP should therefore adopt Nairobi River and redefine it’s riparian to at least 40 meters on both sides and embark on serious rehabilitation work. Economic activities in the river could soon be reinstated so that the much proceeds that could be sourced from such economic activities would be used for the rivers conservation even as continual maintenance exercise would be perpetual. Inasmuch as we applaud the UN’s People Centred-Smart Cities Program that ensure deployment of technology and innovation was used to ensure sustainability, inclusivity, prosperity and human rights in cities, it defeats logic when such ambitious programs were rolled out in a city that is soon succumbing in a chokehold of filth.
Thanks.
Simon Bodo