Interior Cabinet Secretary (CS) Kithure Kindiki has told off leaders politicising the cleaning and regeneration of the Nairobi River.
Addressing a section of village elders, assistant chiefs and chiefs at the Kenya School of Government in Lower Kabete on Monday, September 16, 2024, Kindiki asserted that the cleaning of the river is now an irreversible security matter.
He explained that the cleaning exercise is not for the sake of politics but for the well-being of the present and future generations.
“We urge that nobody should politicise or bring in other issues on the cleaning of Nairobi River, it is irreversible, and it is a security matter we are not turning back; we are doing this, not for politics but for the sake of the country and the present and future generations,” he said.
The CS also pointed out that the security ministry will ensure that the river corridor is protected and that no re-encroachment will be allowed in the cleared spaces.
Kindiki further acknowledged how pollution has affected the Nairobi River and its ecosystem posing dangers to the health and well-being of the people.
“Today, we are very proud we have cleared that corridor and we have given clear instructions to all agencies including the National Police Service. Nobody will be allowed to re-encroach those dangerous places because doing so will be detrimental to public safety and security.
“This project, as much as it is an environmental project it is also a national security project. We are not taking it lightly and for us in this space as security managers, we will firmly and resolutely ensure the corridor is protected from encroachment as other agencies come to regenerate the corridor, and clean it so that our people can have a clean environment,” the CS added.
