The River of Poison

This was Kenya’s great source of water until it was poisoned. It flows from Kenya’s capital and meets the Athi River then flows to the Indian Ocean. It passes through several industries and human settlements. This river was the source of fish to Kenyas but it’s no more. Our river Nairobi is poisoned.

As it passes through the human settlements, it gives out water to the people in those settlements but due to the people being ungrateful, they throw human waste, plastics and other wastes to the river. Not because the people have no idea about the consequences of poisoning the river but because they are ignorant. They think the waste that they deposit in the river will neither affect them nor their families since the waste will flow downstream. Nature is very unforgiving if you struck it, it will struck you back. The water will at some point affect those families.

NEMA has put some efforts to stop industries from disposing of waste into the river but the industries have been ignorant. The industries have been disposing of industrial waste that contains pollutants such as chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) which are non– biodegradable and have a long life span. These pollutants deplete the ozone layer thus harmful rays of the sun are able to reach us hence people suffer from sink cancer.

The water from the river of poison flows to the Indian Ocean. The Indian Ocean is the main source of sea food in Kenya. The waste thrown upstream flows downstream to the Indian Ocean where it poisons the sea causing the death of many sea life. In an attempt to this pollution in river Nairobi, NEMA worked with the University of Nairobi. Kenyas should as well work with NEMA to reverse the name of the Nairobi river as the river of poison. We won’t have a society if we destroy the environment. The greatest threat to our planet is the belief that someone else will save it. Be part of the solution not part of the pollution.