Ruai, Kariobangi upgrade expand Nairobi sewer treatment plant

One of the upgraded sewerage treatment plant in Nairobi. [Jonah Onyango, Standard]

The treatment capacity at Ruai Sewerage plant in Nairobi has now shot up to 320,000 cubic litres per day, this is according to the latest update from the environment department.

For many years, the capacity had stuck at 160,000 cubic litres per day but the increase has been attributed to the expansion of the Kariobangi Sewer Treatment Plant from 30,000 cubic metres to 90,000 cubic metres per day.

The expansion was aimed at modernisating Nairobi’s sewerage network, improve environmental conservation and support the city’s rapidly growing population.

The report says will strengthen the city’s ability to handle increasing waste water volumes as Nairobi’s population continues to grow, while reducing untreated sewage discharges into rivers and the environment.

Recently governor Sakaja said the growing population in the city can only enjoy better services through setting up of strong infrastructure.

“We are in a growing city that now hosts more than seven million people during the day and over five million at night. It is paramount that we expand our treatment capacity, and that is exactly what we have achieved through the efforts of our teams in collaboration with the National Government,” he said 

City Hall says the increased treatment capacity at both Ruai and Kariobangi will enable the county to process significantly more wastewater, helping curb illegal sewage leakages that have for years polluted Nairobi’s rivers and surrounding environment.

The expansion comes as Nairobi City County and the National Government continue implementing one of the country’s largest sewer infrastructure projects—a 54-kilometre trunk sewer network along the Nairobi River corridor.

The new sewer lines are designed to eliminate illegal sewer connections that currently discharge waste directly into the river, while laying the foundation for a cleaner and more sustainable city.

“The new trunk sewer line will serve Nairobi for the next 50 years. Beyond environmental restoration, we are transforming the river corridor into an attractive public space with boulevards, walkways and cycling lanes, changing the story of a capital city that for decades has been defined by a polluted river running through it,” he said.

The expanded Ruai treatment plant will also produce safer treated water for downstream agricultural use, improving public health and supporting farming communities that depend on reclaimed water.