Nairobi's Green Push Faces Real Test: What Residents in Korogocho and Kawangware Actually Think

On a sweltering Tuesday morning in Korogocho, where the Nairobi River winds through one of the city's most densely populated informal settlements, residents gathered at a community centre to discuss the latest environmental initiative targeting their neighbourhood. The mood was cautious—a familiar pattern in areas where sustainability schemes have often meant displacement rather than improvement.

Over the past eighteen months, Nairobi has intensified its environmental commitments. The city's target to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050, alongside programmes like the Nairobi Rivers Commission's rehabilitation efforts, has generated significant momentum in government circles and among international donors. Yet on the ground, in neighbourhoods like Kawangware, Mathare, and Korogocho, the lived experience of these initiatives tells a more complicated story.

"They talk about cleaning the rivers and protecting the environment, but they don't ask us what we need," said one long-time Korogocho resident, speaking on condition of anonymity due to concerns about local politics. "When they come with their projects, people lose their livelihoods. The informal waste collectors—thousands of them—suddenly have no income."

This tension reflects a broader challenge facing Nairobi's sustainability agenda. According to a 2025 survey by the Nairobi City County Environment Department, over 60 percent of informal settlement residents expressed concern that green initiatives would increase their living costs or remove economic opportunities. Waste management, currently providing informal income to an estimated 15,000 residents across the city, remains a critical flashpoint.

In Kawangware, a community leader working with local NGOs noted that while tree-planting campaigns have gained traction—the city planted approximately 500,000 trees in 2024 alone—these efforts must be accompanied by genuine economic alternatives. "Sustainability cannot mean poverty for the poorest," they explained, speaking at a venue near Kawangware Social Hall.

The disconnect between policy and implementation has not gone unnoticed by environmental advocates. Several organisations working across Eastleigh, Kibera, and South B have begun pushing for what they call "community-centred sustainability"—ensuring that affected residents shape, rather than simply receive, environmental programmes.

As Nairobi heads into a crucial implementation phase of its climate action plan, one message from communities is unmistakable: sustainability will only succeed if it first listens to the voices of those who've lived with environmental neglect longest.

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