Farmers seek State’s help to clean River Athi

Horticultural farmers on the shores of River Athi in Mwala sub-county in Machakos, yesterday lamented over the increasing toxicity levels of the river.

The farmers said the water had become black and smelly.

Their spokeswoman Ruth Wambua asked the government to help clean the river and stop some counties from directing sewage into it. “We call on the three counties of Machakos, Kiambu and Nairobi and the national government to speed up the cleaning of the river before we are edged out of business,” said Wambua, a retired school principal.

She also urged various authorities to fast track the cleaning of the river saying that if the government fails to do so, she will write a proposal to international organisations for funding to clean up the river. 

Wambua also said available data shows that River Athi’s catchment in Machakos county is capable of putting more than 300 acres of arable land under irrigation which can transform the county’s food security besides addressing the human health concerns.

The former principal also challenged the counties and national government to enforce regulations on safe waste disposal to save the river for both it’s direct and indirect beneficiaries.

The pollution of River Athi has negatively impacted the downstream communities that depend on the river for livelihood.