On Wednesday 13 August, Geoffrey Mosiria, Nairobi’s Chief Environment Officer, walked through Pipeline Estate. He had come after tenants raised the alarm about terrible living conditions. What he found was heartbreaking.
He described the scene bluntly: raw sewage had seeped through blocked toilets, flooding bathrooms and filling the building with a foul odour. “I was shocked,” Mosiria said. “Raw sewage has spilled across floors and into bathrooms, creating an unbearable stench. Families here, including young children, are at serious risk.”
The building houses multiple families. Yet landlords seem to have done nothing, even though the main sewer line was clearly broken. Mosiria questioned why nothing had been done to fix it.
He vowed to act. “Such neglect is both unacceptable and dangerous,” he announced. He told apartment managers to step up, meet the minimum health standards and take immediate steps to rectify the problem.
This is not a new issue in Pipeline. Just last month, on 16 July, Mosiria led a cleanup operation there. He criticized landlords and caretakers for allowing tenants to dump waste in the streets, rather than hiring proper waste collectors.
Pipeline Estate, in Eastlands Nairobi, is among the most densely populated areas in the city. Its infrastructure is worn overcrowded flats, narrow lanes, poor drainage and littered streets are part of daily life for those who live there.
Residents voice frustration. One resident described that the situation is usually worse and another commented that they haven’t had water in their house since January.
Governor Johnson Sakaja has acknowledged the gravity of Nairobi’s garbage woes, noting that Pipeline is not alone. Contractors are owed billions, leading many to halt services. His administration insists it has cleared over 70,000 tonnes since he took office, and promises lasting change.
On one hand, the situation in Pipeline is dire. Families, including young children, are exposed daily to raw sewage, stench and health risks. The county official’s swift response signals that the problem is taken seriously.
Yet there are deeper, systemic challenges. Residents’ reluctance to pay for waste services helps fuel street dumping. Piled-up rubbish could be a consequence of both personal behavior and service provider failures. As Governor Sakaja points out, the system is stretched counties owe contractors large sums, limiting waste collection to zero in some areas.
Landlords neglecting their tenants safe environments and living conditions is not a new thing in Kenya. = Mosiria’s promise to enforce standards is a start, but it must be followed by action, monitoring, clean-ups and accountability.
About the Author
