Rais Ruto Akigombea; Makubaliano ya Kusafisha Hewa

Rais Ruto Akigombea; Makubaliano ya Kusafisha Hewa

Following the events of the past couple of weeks’ a period of calm has slowly settled
into our towns and cities. Across Kenya, people are more reflective of deeper questions
that ultimately decide the quality of a life ahead – what the future holds in store. As the
cog wheels of activity turn, picking up speed following days of uncertainty on the
streets, a return to normal bluntly stares us in the face. A normal where the scaled up
hustle to stay ahead of an unpredictable economic curve is plain to see; and in tandem, a
normal where clear visual evidence of our polluted air is only surpassed by its
unrelentingly negative health impacts evidenced in illness, disease and death. If the
president decided to step out of his comfort zone in the State House and take a good
run, our commander-in-chief would be left deflated, out of breath and convinced of the
need for immediate action.
If the hustler from Sugoi took his legs for an early spin just round the corner from his
official residence into Kilimani, Kileleshwa, Riverside and into the Westlands
neighbourhoods the narrative would only just begin. He would immediately realise that
there’s no such thing as upmarket when it comes to easy access to a blended cocktail of
toxic air pollutants.
I see our president – wide grinning as he jogs in place – beckoned by honking derevas
and hanging makanga’s as they hard brake their manyanga’s to a stop. The cacophony
of noise from pointing onlookers and the zero to sixty revving would all be spectacular
to the casual eye. It, however, will be served up with the thick cloudy puffing of black
emissions entrained with an unsafe dose of tiny particulate matter – inhaled with each
deep breath demanded from rais Ruto’s one-forty beats per minute. Any feel good
moment on the street corner would quickly dissipate as alighting and boarding
passengers alike disappeared in cough into the smoke.
If Zakayo sprung out of the newly refurbished sports complex at Kasarani for a cross
country practice run, the sad story of open burning of waste in our cities would feature
front and centre. As he hit the lonely dual road that runs along the scattering of maize
fields overlooking the Ruaka river with clear views of Lucky Summer, Dandora and the
wider Eastlands over yonder – truth would beckon. Across the sprawling waste
dumpsite in Dandora – where self-igniting fires burn millions of tons of plastics, garbage
and other materials – the skies receive a steady feed of an array of disease causing
airborne pollutants, every day. The plume of toxic substances hanging over a large
section of Eastlands is replicated in smaller but equally dangerous levels by emissions
from the innumerable satellite waste dumps across the city where responsible waste
management continues to be elusive.
If our resident Doctor of Philosophy in no less than matters ecology decided to go for it
in the wee hours of the morning under the radar, he’d run past business managers and
proprietors lighting up smoke emitting solid fuels that run their vibandas feeding most
citizens almost round the clock. Clean water (dirty air) bowsers and waste collection
trucks responsible for sanitation services would further aggravate his lungs as they
dragged their weights along coughing up tailpipe poisons unashamed of the irony.
If the man who debuted his political career representing the north side of the City of
Champions had enough of Nairobi and embarked on a 4-city 10K challenge he’d be
surprised. Taking on Eldoret from Elgon View to Kip Keino; Nyalenda to Nam Lolwe and on to Kondele; Section 58 through Shabab to Menengai and; Kisimani across the
Nyali Bridge to Kibarani – he’d emerge disillusioned, the ubiquity of the air quality
problems that we all face now clear as day.
Oddly, his Excellency’s secured line calls to persons in Charge at the County level, NEMA
or its parent ministry would be short and curt. Sir, we have been on it! We have the
policy positions, strategies, action plans and regulations to boot. Well, it clearly appears
that our constitutional right to a clean and healthy environment needs to be scrutinized
for its applicability.
Kenyans are ailing and it is evident not just in the widespread mental, physical and
emotional health burden. The social-economic impacts are as bad if not worse. The
suffering endured is unacceptable. The cost of inaction high. This is especially because
the burden of air pollution is not equally shared. The disenfranchised and vulnerable
amongst us are disproportionately harmed.
According to the African Clean Air Program of the AU Commission, approximately 1
million people die prematurely per year due to the health impacts of poor air quality
across the continent. In Kenya, recent studies have shown that long-term exposure of
the population to the most dangerous particulate matter (PM2.5) was almost four times
higher than the WHO annual guideline of 5 micro-grams per cubic meter and estimated
to lead to a substantial burden of attributable deaths, this just from the transport sector.
Indoor air pollution due to unclean cooking in Nairobi’s informal settlements have been
found to contribute to PM2.5 concentrations as high as 214 micro-grams per cubic meter
within homes.
Yet we have low hanging fruit across sectors. A raft of immediate policy measures that
can significantly cut emissions. These do not require new local studies and lengthy
research undertakings. Our children do not have the luxury of waiting for EVs to
dominate our transport fleets. Or for sustainable clean energy to fully replace
ubiquitous smoky primary energy from biomass burning. Or for the end to open
burning of waste in residential areas to be endlessly debated. What is needed is
nothing short of concessions, compromise and commitments amongst a coalition of all
key stakeholders. This will deliver the clean air we desperately need in the shortest
time possible.
The 2025 Clean Air Forum, an annual convening of communities of practice in Africa
concludes this week in Nairobi. We can easily build from this platform for knowledge
sharing, collaborations and multi-regional partnerships for tackling air pollution.
In returning to the capital, president Ruto should toss his running shoes before his
court, lead from the front and declare his decision to clear the air: “No more!”.