Nairobi’s CBD, Woodley, Kibra & Juja Road Residents Told to Wear Masks Over Toxic Air
Nairobi residents have been advised to be extra cautious and wear masks when visiting certain parts of the city after a surge in air pollution.
Chief Environment Officer Geoffrey Mosira sounded the alarm on Thursday, September 4, saying monitoring machines had detected toxic air in areas such as the Central Business District (CBD), Woodley in Kibra and Juja Road. He warned that prolonged exposure to the conditions could lead to respiratory complications.
“Woodley in Kibra, their air is polluted, Juja Road, Mlango Kubwa ward and the fire station CBD. We want all Kenyans going to these areas to wear a mask because the air in these areas is not healthy for human consumption,” Mosira said.
Experts have long warned that prolonged exposure to polluted air can cause severe health problems such as Asthma, Bronchitis, Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD), Pneumonia and Emphysema.
To address the crisis, Mosira said the county government has already deployed technical teams to investigate the sources of pollution in the most affected areas and recommend quick fixes.
He also asked residents to regularly check Nairobi’s air quality through the county’s website, noting that 87 air quality sensors have been installed across the city. “By checking and monitoring the air we breathe we can take precautions to protect ourselves,” he said.
This comes just weeks after Nairobi was ranked the second most polluted city in the world in August by global air quality tracker IQAir, behind Kinshasa in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
According to environmental experts, vehicle emissions, industrial activities and burning of waste are the leading causes of the city’s poor air quality. Mosira said the county will soon issue warning notices to establishments polluting areas near hospitals and other sensitive facilities.
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Nairobi’s CBD, Woodley, Kibra & Juja Road Residents Told to Wear Masks Over Toxic Air