The Invisible Toll on Nairobi's Vulnerable

For the majority of Nairobi's residents living in densely populated informal settlements, the air they breathe is a slow-acting poison. A landmark 2019 analysis attributed approximately 2,500 premature deaths in the capital to air pollution, highlighting a public health emergency that disproportionately affects the city's poorest citizens. These communities, often situated near industrial areas and sprawling dumpsites like Dandora, are exposed to a toxic cocktail of emissions that far exceed global safety standards set by the World Health Organization (WHO). In 2019, Nairobi's overall air pollution was 4.2 times higher than WHO recommendations.

Lower respiratory infections, exacerbated by poor air quality, are the fourth leading cause of death and disability in Kenya. The health impacts are starkly divided along economic lines. Around 60% of Nairobi's population resides in informal settlements, which cover just over 5% of the city's residential land. In these areas, residents live and work in close proximity to major roads, industrial facilities, and waste burning sites, leading to constant exposure to harmful particulate matter (PM2.5), nitrogen dioxide, and other carcinogens.

Household and Community Pollution Sources

The danger is not only outdoors but also pervasive within homes. A study focusing on the Korogocho and Viwandani slums found that the majority of households (nearly 70%) rely on kerosene for cooking. Indoor PM2.5 levels in some homes in Kibera have been measured at 214 μg/m³, a staggering 43 times higher than WHO's recommended limits. This is largely due to the use of biomass fuels and kerosene in poorly ventilated single-room dwellings, where over 90% of residents cook in the same space they live. A 2021 study by the Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI) in Mukuru slums identified peak pollution episodes between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m. as women cook indoors, often with doors closed for security. Nationally, household air pollution from cooking with fuels like kerosene and firewood is linked to 23,000 deaths annually.

Compounding the issue is the widespread practice of open waste burning. With inadequate municipal waste management, burning trash is often the only disposal method available in slums. This releases a hazardous mix of emissions, including persistent organic pollutants and cancer-causing agents, directly into the community's air. The Dandora dumpsite, which receives over 2,000 metric tonnes of waste daily, constantly smoulders, blanketing nearby estates like Korogocho and Baba Dogo in noxious smoke and contributing to severe respiratory problems. A study by UNEP found that between 2003 and 2006, a local dispensary treated over 9,100 people for respiratory tract issues linked to the dumpsite.

A Public Health Crisis and Policy Gaps

The consequences for public health are devastating. Pneumonia is a leading cause of death for children under five in Kenya, and research shows that around half of all childhood pneumonia deaths are linked to air pollution. Clinics in Nairobi have reported a tripling of respiratory cases in five years, while lung cancer rates surged by 25% in a decade, according to WHO data cited in a 2025 report. The economic burden follows, as informal workers like boda-boda riders and street vendors spend their meagre earnings on treating illnesses caused by the very air they work in.

Despite the scale of the crisis, policy implementation and enforcement remain significant hurdles. Kenya has established a legal framework, including the Environmental Management and Coordination Act (EMCA) of 1999 and the Air Quality Regulations of 2014, which grant the National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) power to set and enforce standards. However, experts point to persistent gaps between policy and action. A recent report from the Auditor General revealed that NEMA's air quality monitoring equipment was idle for ten months in 2023-2024 due to unpaid license fees, leaving the country without official air quality reports.

In response, the Nairobi City County Government has taken steps, adopting an Air Quality Policy and Bill in 2021 with support from SEI and UNEP. These frameworks aim to guide decision-making across sectors to cut pollution. However, for residents like those in Mukuru and Dandora, tangible changes to air quality are a matter of life and death, and the smoke continues to signal a deep-seated environmental injustice. Further investigation is required to assess the on-the-ground impact of these new county-level policies.