Disease stalks town as sewage floods streets

Nakuru Town sits on a health time bomb as blocked sewer lines continue to spew their contents onto the streets in residential areas .

Despite assurances from the county health department that it had finally contained the cholera outbreak that ravaged the town a few weeks ago, a spot check reveals that bust sewers, heaps of uncollected garbage and dirty water have become synonymous with Nakuru and its surroundings, raising fears of disease outbreaks and environmental degradation. 

In Bondeni and Rhonda estates, residents said they had lived with the burst sewers for as long they could remember, despite promises from every new batch of leaders.

“They always sing the same tune about rehabilitating the outdated sewage system to minimise sewer bursts as part of waste management mechanism. So far they haven’t delivered the promises” said Mr Jackson Wanderi, a resident of Bondeni.

Raw sewage laced with dangerous poisons from the Gioto dumpsite are washed into the rundown sewer lines, endangering humans and the environment.

Environment activist and blogger James Wakibia said the leaking sewer pipes in Nakuru suburbs had become a common sight.

He attributed the recent cholera outbreak that left 22 Nakuru residents dead to failure to collect refuse regularly.

Mr Wakibia regretted that it took weeks for garbage to be collected from the town and taken to the dumpsite.

Nakuru’s executive in charge of the environment, natural resources, energy and water, Dr Richard Rop, said the county government had put in place long and short-term waste management strategies.

In their short-term plans, authorities have stationed various collecting points within the town centre and were also working closely with the private collectors to ensure the town is clean.

“We are keen to maintain our status as the cleanest town in East and Central Africa by putting measures to ensure we manage our waste, attend to burst sewers and replace dilapidated pipes to comply with environmental requirements,” Mr Rop said.

He added that the county government had also stationed garbage trucks at various points to collect waste before it is ferried to dumpsites.

Lake Nakuru National Park Senior Warden Dickson Ritan said the wildlife could be quenching their thirst with water laced with chang’aa.

Ritan said test samples taken from key rivers flowing into Lake Nakuru confirmed the water was contaminated with chang’aa, which is illegally brewed in the slums.

He said River Njoro, one of those that feed the world-famous lake, was heavily polluted.