President William Ruto has appointed Ruto appoints Bishop Margaret Wanjiru as chairperson of the Nairobi Rivers Commission.
In A Gazette notice dated October 25, 2024, Ruto announced the creation of an 11-member commission chaired by Wanjiru.
Other members of the commission include Mumo Musuva, Grace Senewa Mesopirr, John Kioli, Eva Muhia, Amos Chege Mugo, Carlotta Dalago, Rael Chebichii Lelei, Benjamin Langwen, Charles Karisa Dadu and Millicent Omanga.
The Commission’s mandate will include Principal Secretaries from the State Department for Environment and Climate Change, the State Department for Water and Sanitation, the State Department for Internal Security and National Administration, the State Department for Lands and Physical Planning, the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, the National Treasury and the Executive Office of the President.
The commission will be tasked with fostering the coordination of the initiatives for the protection, restoration, rehabilitation, and beautification of the Nairobi Rivers and all water bodies within the boundary of the Nairobi City County through a basin-wide integrated approach.
“The Nairobi River Basin ecosystem has, notwithstanding varied State interventions, not regenerated sufficiently to sustain aquatic life in the river channel stream and has remained murky and turbid. Now, therefore, I, William Samoei Ruto, President of the Republic of Kenya and Commander-in-Chief of the Defence Forces, in exercise of the powers conferred on me by the Constitution and the Laws of the Republic of Kenya do hereby establish the Nairobi Rivers Commission,” Ruto stated.
The Secretariat of the Commission shall be domiciled at the State Department for Housing and Urban Development, which shall assist in the day-to-day management of its affairs.
Among the primary assignments of the commission shall be to reclaim the rivers of Nairobi as a spine to the city’s blue and green infrastructure and examine previous reports and recommendations made in the efforts of reclaiming Nairobi River and adopt lessons learnt in the new initiative.
The commission will also be tasked with assessing rivers related to the current and future issues and their root causes and develop a programme called the Nairobi Rivers Basin Regeneration Programme (NABREP) to restore and enhance the Nairobi Basin and related infrastructure to such standards as permits the full enjoyment of a safe, inclusive and healthy environment for all and unlock the socio-economic potential of the basin.
“(The Commission will (co-ordinate the activities of various players mandated to engage in the rehabilitation, protection, restoration, beautification and sustainable development of the riverine basin within Nairobi City County towards transforming the Nairobi rivers system into a new economic and retail frontier of the city,” the notice read in part.
The commission will also monitor compliance with the laws and regulations governing the environment of the basin and its catchment areas.
The members of the Commission shall hold office for a term of three years renewable once based on performance.
The Commission shall be financed through funding appropriated for the commission’s use by the National Government and the Nairobi City County Government and donations and endowment for the purposes of implementing the Nairobi Rivers Basin Regeneration Programme.
