Nairobi mobilises 4,500 Green Army members as city braces for heavy rains
Nairobi County has deployed its 4,500-member Green Army for a citywide clean-up as the capital intensifies efforts to clear drainage channels and prepare for the threat of flooding.
Nairobi County has mobilised thousands of workers and called on residents, businesses and institutions to join a major citywide clean-up as the capital prepares for expected heavy rains.
Governor Sakaja Johnson has urged Nairobi residents to take part in a clean-up exercise scheduled for Saturday, October 10, to mark Mazingira Day, with activities expected to target neighbourhoods, roads and drainage channels across the city.
The initiative forms part of a wider clean-up campaign being implemented across Nairobi’s 17 sub-counties, with the county government seeking to reduce waste accumulation and the risk of blocked drainage systems during periods of heavy rainfall.
The 4,500-member Green Army will take part alongside county staff, residents, businesses and other stakeholders.
Governor Sakaja said keeping Nairobi clean could not be left solely to the county government, calling for greater responsibility from residents and organisations.
“Nairobi Lazima Iwork is not just about what the county government does. It is about what each one of us does,” Sakaja said.
“If every Nairobi resident takes responsibility for the space around them, keeps their neighbourhood clean and protects our drainage, we will build the Nairobi we all want to see.”
Nairobi ramps up clean-up campaign
The October 10 exercise comes against the backdrop of an ongoing countywide campaign aimed at improving waste management and environmental conditions in the capital.
Residents, households, businesses and institutions have been encouraged to keep the areas surrounding their premises clean and to avoid activities that could contribute to blocked drainage.
Nairobi generates an estimated 3,200 tonnes of waste each day, according to the county, placing significant pressure on the city’s waste-management infrastructure.
During heavy rainfall, accumulated rubbish can also contribute to blocked drainage and increase the risk of flooding in vulnerable areas.
Green Nairobi CEC Maureen Njeri said the campaign was intended to encourage residents to play a more active role in maintaining their neighbourhoods rather than relying entirely on county authorities.
The county has simultaneously stepped up efforts to clear drainage channels as part of its preparations for the expected rains.
Officials have warned residents against dumping waste in waterways and drainage channels, amid concerns that blocked water routes could worsen flooding.
Nairobi River corridor faces major planning changes
The clean-up drive comes as the county also moves towards a new planning framework for the Nairobi River corridor.
According to Gazette Notice No. 15522, preparation of the Nairobi River Corridor Special Planning Area Local Physical and Land Use Development Plan commenced on September 25, 2026.
The proposed plan is intended to establish a statutory framework for the regeneration of the Nairobi River corridor while addressing flood hazards and guiding future development.
It is also expected to provide direction on the use and redevelopment of riparian land and the construction of infrastructure within the designated area.
The move places the Nairobi River at the centre of wider efforts to address environmental degradation, flooding and urban development pressures in the capital.
Affordable housing included in proposed plan
The proposed framework will also make provision for social and affordable housing, together with associated social and physical infrastructure.
County authorities say the plan is intended to guide redevelopment within the designated corridor while taking environmental and flood-related risks into account.
The planning process is being undertaken under Section 47 of the Physical and Land Use Planning Act, 2019.
Members of the public and other interested stakeholders have been given 21 days from the date of publication of the Gazette notice to submit comments on the proposed planning process.
With the clean-up exercise scheduled for October 10, county authorities are now looking to residents and other stakeholders to help keep waste out of Nairobi’s drainage network as the city prepares for potentially disruptive rainfall.
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