The 50Billions project is a game-changer designed to enhance dignified living, sustainable transport, and economic empowerment for thousands of city dwellers.
The Nairobi River Basin Regeneration Programme (NaBREP) is an intergovernmental, multi-sectoral, and multi-agency initiative to reclaim, clean, and conserve the Nairobi River corridor and ecosystem in the next 5-10 years.
It targets a total of 175 km being the Nairobi river and its tributaries -Ngong, Nairobi, & Mathare, and Stoney Athi from their sources to Thwake dam in Makueni County.
However, the wider impacts are anticipated along the wider Athi River basin, all the way to the mouth of River Sabaki in Malindi, Kilifi County.
The overall co-ordination of the project is tasked to the Nairobi Rivers Commission – a Presidential executive commission gazetted in August 2024.
Its members include: Bishop Margaret Wanjiru (Chairperson), Mumo Musuva (Vice Chairperson), Charles Dadu, Grace Mesopir, John Kioli, Eva Muhia, Benjamin Langwen, Rael Lelei, Amos Mugo, Carlotta Dal Lago, Anab Gure, and Josephat Sagero.
The key actors in this project include Ministry of Environment, Ministry of Lands, Ministry of Devolution, Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Water, the Nairobi City County, County Governments of Kiambu, Machakos, Makueni, and Kajiado; and a couple of nonstate actors such as the UNEP, UN Habitat, World Resources Institute (WRI), and host of NGOs and CBOs serving as advisers and/or implementation partners.
The Nairobi River Basin Regeneration Programme (NaBREP) is organized under 10 thematic areas, namely:
- Catchment Protection and Restoration
- Riparian and Wetlands Reclamation and Protection
- Waste to the Rivers
- Drainage and Hydrology
- Land-Use
- People/ Social
- Technical – Science and Research
- Resources and Resource Mobilization
- Monitoring and Evaluation
- Publicity and Communication
The project components include:
- Riveer regeneration master planning,
- Construction of twin trunk sewer lines, each on either side of the river,
- River deepening and widening,
- River bank stabilization,
- Decentralized waste treatment system,
- Upgrading of Kariobangi sewage treatment works,
- Dandora dumpsite river de-Contamination and solid waste management works,
- Construction of retail markets, public social amenities,
- Affordable and social housing and related infrastructure along the development corridor,
- NMT Corridors and other associate Transport Infrastructure, and
- Comprehensive Urban Landscaping work
Phase One of the project covers the section of Nairobi river from Naivasha road to Dandora Falls, which is a distance of about 27km.
The project is quickly gaining traction and public attention following the launch by H.E President Dr. William Ruto of the first catalytic project worth at least Ksh. 18 Billion, named Social/Affordable Housing and Associated Infrastructure for Nairobi Rivers Basin Regeneration at the historic Kamukunji grounds on 10 Mar 2025.
This was closely followed by the publication by the Nairobi City County Government, upon the advice of the Ministry of Lands, of the gazette notice of the intention to declare Nairobi River Corridor a Special Planning Area.
The project also employs over 30,000 youth under its Climate Worx initiative, where youth are engaged in daily clean-ups, tree planting, and general surveillance.
The project has, however, elicited a lot of anxiety across riverine communities and developers along the river corridor, some of which have already lodged formal petitions against the project, fearing the possibility of massive evacuations that may disrupt their investments and livelihoods.
It is our hope that these concerns will receive a befitting hearing and achieve amicable resolution in line with the tenets of the Constitution of Kenya 2010. If well executed, NaBREP, together with its ambitious infrastructural investment strategy, has high potential to transform Nairobi and other affected Counties from an environmental, social, and economic perspective. It is also a good opportunity to scale up the river agenda to a National level of engagement, given the numerous rivers across the country, some traversing major urban areas such as Eldoret and Malindi whose development potential remains largely unexploited” Nairobi River Commissioner Dadu Karisa
Projected Benefits:
Social Benefits:
- Avoid flooding, erosion and protect the lives and property of people along the rivers.
- Improve the urban sanitation system.
- Add 30,000 units for affordable and social housing programme
- Train approximately 3,000 mid & senior-level workers.
Economic Benefits:
- Land value increments of upto 30% in3years.
- Attract businesses to settle in and invest along the rivers.
- Create 25,000 direct and 20,000 indirect Jobs for Kenyans
- Drive the development of local industries. (localization procurement rate of more than 40%)
- Create new tourism spots and add revenues
Environmental benefits:
- Improved water quality, access to clean water.
- Provide a clean, healthy beautiful and well managed environment.
- Lead in climate change intervention support in the region
