AIR POLLUTION

Responding to a Global Urban Initiative of the World Health OrganizationIn 2017, local and international media highlighted alarming air quality in Nairobi, with par- ticulate pollution levels reported to be 70% above the World Health Organization’s (WHO) recommended safe limit. These warnings were stark.

They highlighted several areas of concern but one stood out above all others: Smoke and burning.

Smoke is a well-known source of particulate matter and toxic gases. These parti- cles lodge in our lungs, impairing lung function over time. Even short-term or low- level exposure can lead to serious respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Children are especially vulnerable. These forms of burning are common:

Shamba bonfires – Garden fires visible across the city

Rubbish fires – Often seen along roadsides and in gardens

Ideally, we should avoid burning altogether. Whenever we detect the smell of smoke, we are inhaling hazardous particulate matter and gases.

Kenyan law prohibits air pollution, and the “polluter pays” principle applies. An “air pollutant” is legally defined as any fume, particulate, gas, vapor, or odorous substance.

In response to public complaints, cigarette smoking in public spaces was banned years ago. Nairobi’s 1959 city bylaw also prohibited indiscriminate fires in resi- dential areas. Yet today, that law is largely ignored, and biomass burning has intensified.

NMRA calls on all residents to adhere to the law and :

Eliminate smoky garden fires. Instead, compost all organic waste. Cut branches into mulch or stack them to decompose naturally. Burning destroys soil health, harms biodiversity, and degrades your garden’s ecosystem.

Switch to solar water heating a clean– sustainable alternative.

Never burn rubbish. Burning waste, especially plastic, releases toxic fumes. Use recycling centers or certified waste collectors.