Nairobi River is set to receive a new look as the planned restoration to its former state in order to support the ecosystem as well as provide recreational opportunities commences soon.
This was revealed during a tour of a long Nairobi river early yesterday by Nairobi City County Executive for Green Nairobi Ms Maureen Njeri alongside Nairobi River Commission Chairperson Dr. Pamela Olet, UN-Habitat Regional Director, Swedish Ambassador to Kenya Ms Caroline Vicini, and the Kenya Permanent Mission Ambassador to UH Habitat Amb. Jane Kimani and other partners.
The tour comes ahead of the planned beautification work which includes planting of trees along the river starts.
Ms. Njeri disclosed that the tour of the river was also aimed at identifying sections of the river where the UN General Assembly delegates will be visiting to plant trees as one of the crucial events to be undertaken on the 3rd of June 2023.
Kamukunji grounds riparian area has been identified as one of the areas where trees will be planted by the delegates; hence the County Executive Committee Member for Green stressed the need to undertake immediate sprucing up of the grounds, the river, and environs by the environment and sub-county teams.
After the tour of the river, the CECM hosted the team at Kamukunji grounds where they had conversations with the youth regarding keeping the environment clean, the benefits of green space preservation, and the protection of Nairobi River and its adjacent areas.
It is also worth noting that Kamukunji ground is one of the areas which had been turned into a dumping site but a Community-Based Organisation, Kamukunji Environment Conservation Champions(KECC)comprising of youth took it upon themselves to rehabilitate it; with one section used as a green space and the other used as a football pitch.
