The National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) has identified 29 companies within the Nairobi metropolis that are accused of polluting the Nairobi River. Among the companies flagged by NEMA are Brookside Dairy Limited, owned by the Kenyatta family.
In a statement released on Wednesday, NEMA disclosed that the discovery was made during an inspection of the river in January.
Consequently, the companies have been instructed to clean the water body within the next 30 days.
Other companies that have been flagged include Ndhiwa Sukari Industries Limited, Pearl Dairy Farm Limited, Kenya Tea Packers Limited, Mini Bakeries (NRB) Limited, and Mjengo Limited.
Others on the list include Unilever Kenya Limited, Kapa Oil Refineries Limited, BAT Kenya, Yemken Trading Company Limited, Kilimambogo Millers Limited, Dawa Limited, UDV(Kenya) Limited, Meru Central Dairy Cooperative Union Limited, Softcare Kenya Company Limited, and Sunveat Foods Limited.
Further companies listed by NEMA include Fabrique Par; Promasidor(Kenya) Limited, Bidcoro Africa Limited for Suntory Beverage & Food Kenya Limited, Weetabix East Africa Limited, Laboratory and Allied Limited, Beta Health Care, Mars Wrigley Confectionery Kenya Limited, Global Mark Food Limited, Premier Food Limited, and Gold Crown Beverages(Kenya) Limited. NEMA also flagged the Githunguri Dairy Farmers Cooperative Society, Kinangop Dairy Milk Limited, Kamili Packers Limited, and Kensalt Limited.
“NEMA carried out inspections at various points within the Nairobi River catchment on January 18, 2024. The inspection team established that there were assorted synthetic wastes along the river, which bore the identity of different producers,” the NEMA statement reads.
“It was also established that the waste had accumulated in the rivers, interfering with their flow, posing a potential threat of flooding, water pollution, and likely to have adverse environmental effects on the general environment,” the statement adds.
In addition to cleaning the river, the companies have been directed to submit a report upon completion of the cleaning exercise.
