The second phase of the Nairobi River Sanitation Improvement Project has just been launched by the Kenyan authorities. Carried out within the framework of the Nairobi River Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme (NaRSIP), the project is financed by several donors including the African Development Bank (AfDB).
According to the financial institution based in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, the second phase of the sanitation project aims to improve access, quality, availability and sustainability of wastewater management services in the capital in order to contribute to the restoration of the Nairobi river basin. “The project will build on the achievements of NaRSIP Phase I to increase sewerage coverage from 48% currently to 70% by 2023 and provide 12,000 new (household) sewerage connections, serving about 500,000 Nairobi residents,” says Michael Thuita, Director General of the Athi Water Works Development Agency (AWWDA).
Delivery of the works in December 2023
In addition to the AfDB, the Nairobi River Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme is financed by the World Bank and the French Development Agency (AFD). These development banks will help the Kenyan government to mobilize the 11 billion Kenyan shillings (101.3 million dollars) needed to improve sanitation in the Nairobi River Basin.
“So far, the financing and subsidiary loan agreements have been signed between the National Treasury and the AfDB. The government has provided 2 billion shillings (US$18.4 million) for the financial year 2020/2021,” explains Mr Makori of the Kenyan Treasury. These funds will facilitate the start of work, notably the rehabilitation and construction of wastewater treatment facilities in Dandora and the laying of 220 km of sewerage network, including sludge management infrastructure.
The Nairobi River Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme will also enable the construction and rehabilitation of 100 sanitary blocks in Nairobi’s underprivileged neighbourhoods. The AfDB estimates that the programme will also provide capacity building for public utilities such as the Athi Water Services Board (AWSB) and Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company (NCWSC). The Kenyan authorities plan to take delivery of the new sanitation facilities before the end of December 2023.
Jean Marie Takouleu