Sakaja Responds To Pipeline Sewage Menace Exposed On Twitter

The matter of sewage at the Pipeline estate has forced residents to flock to Twitter to demand Sakaja to intervene on the problem...

Sakaja Responds To Pipeline Sewage Menace Exposed On Twitter
Governor Johnson Sakaja during the briefing of the Nairobi Street Festival held on November 1, 2022. /TWITTER.SAKAJA JOHNSON

More than a week after Twitter user Honey Farsafi exposed the terrible state of the sewer line problem and garbage situation in Pipeline Estate, Embakasi, Nairobi Governor, Johnson Sakaja on Friday, November 11 took action.

The Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC), a subsidiary of the Nairobi County Government, met landlords of the densely populated estate as part of intervention measures to solve the problem that has turned the streets into filth.

It was discovered that most residential units were not connected to a proper sewer line system, a matter which left the area residents with no option but to drain their sewage on the roads. 

NCWSC assured area residents that the menace will be addressed after they repair the sewage system before moving to the roads.

Stagnant water in Pipeline Estate in Nairobi as part of the sewage menace. /TWITTER

"On Thursday, November 10, 2021, officials from the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company Ltd visited the estate and held consultative talks with landlords and agreed to re-engineer the waterways and unclog the sewer lines.

“Once the sewer situation is addressed, the roads team will repair the road," the company stated.

The matter of sewage at the Pipeline estate has forced residents to flock to Twitter to demand Sakaja to intervene on the problem, with Farsafi frequently sharing the deplorable situation at the Kware residential area of the estate while persuading the governor to issue a response.

“This is Kware pipeline, the issue has been highlighted countless times even by the media but nothing has been done. This is honestly sad, just look at this!” Farsafi tweeted, prompting residents and non-residents of Pipeline to respond to get the duty bearers to act.

She further warned that the cholera outbreak in parts of Nairobi could worsen the situation.

“Pipeline's population is growing daily, constructions are happening day and night but amenities are not keeping up. Kindly make Pipeline work. When the rains come it's going to be even worse,” Elvies Kibisu weighed in.

Others blamed the landlords in the area for aggravating the situation, with some underlining that there was more to the garbage situation as some buildings are sitting on sewer lines, water lines and public land.

Pipeline has been in the spotlight for years over the filth situation, with no solid situation to address it made. High population and negligence by private developers were revealed to be major causes of the menace.

Farsafi was however forced to withdraw her complaints calling leaders to account because she was receiving threats from cartels known to threaten the development of Nairobi city. She went viral after she highlighted a similar situation in Korogocho slums on November 4, 2022, which got Sakaja's attention.

Two days before, Sakaja had instructed Kenyans to become whistleblowers, promising to reward anyone who records residents dumping waste illegally.

"As we unclog the drainage system throughout the city, let’s kindly desist from further illegal dumping. When you see someone dumping and you record, mulika kabisa (expose completely); we arrest, prosecute and split the fine.

"Will work on the county law to provide for this. Let’s keep our city clean," he urged on Wednesday, November 2.

Ongoing efforts to clean up garbage in drainage systems in Nairobi. /TWITTER.SAKAJA JOHNSON