Nairobi City County government has established 50 low-cost air quality monitoring sensors that will be installed across the county to combat air pollution through cutting–edge technology to ensure residents have access to clean air and enhance health.
With city-owned air quality sensors now set to be operational, Nairobi will be better equipped to track pollution hotspots, inform policies, and protect public health through data-driven interventions.
Speaking during the official flag-off for the deployment of the 50 air quality sensors at City Hall, Nairobi County Executive Committee Member (CECM) in charge of Green Nairobi, Maureen Njeri, said that air pollution is an invisible killer, a silent assailant that relentlessly impacts our children’s developing lungs, erodes the health of our elderly, and diminishes the overall vitality of our beloved city.
She said that for too long, they have operated with significant data gaps, hindrances that have regrettably limited our ability to act decisively and strategically against this pervasive threat. Today, with the deployment of these sensors, that fundamental challenge changes.
“These sensors are not mere gadgets; they are our eyes and ears in the atmosphere,” she said, adding that they will deliver real-time, hyper-local data and a level of granularity we have never before possessed.
She said that this data will enable the county to precisely expose pollution hotspots, to inform and craft life-saving policies based on concrete evidence, and crucially, to empower our communities with the information they need to advocate for their own health and well-being.
“This is about equipping our city with the power of knowledge, the precise, real-time knowledge we need to safeguard the health of every single resident and to meticulously shape a truly sustainable future for generations to come,” she said.
She said that Nairobi has made progress in air quality management in recent years, and the flagging of Nairobi’s first-ever city-owned air quality monitoring network marks yet another milestone in the city’s efforts to combat air pollution.
She said this air quality monitoring network deployment is a core part of the Breathe Cities Nairobi initiative, which was launched in September 2024. Breathe Cities is a global effort by the Clean Air Fund, C40 Cities, and Bloomberg Philanthropies aimed at improving public health by reducing air pollution in cities.
Breathe Cities Lead, Kenya Victor Indasi, said that Nairobi is one of 14 cities worldwide currently benefiting from this ambitious and transformative programme.
He said that Breathe Cities brings together air quality data, communities, and city leaders to reduce air pollution and planet-warming emissions by 30 per cent across participating cities by 2030 compared to 2019 levels.
“We look forward to the effective use of this network to inform both policy and the public, ushering in a new era of data-driven air quality management for our city,” he said, adding that the deployment of the air quality monitoring network signals a new chapter in our collective efforts to tackle air pollution.
“Through data-driven approaches, community engagement, and regulatory action, the project seeks to reduce emissions, improve air quality, and promote long-term environmental sustainability in Nairobi,” he said.
On his part, County Chief Officer for Environment Geoffrey Mosiria said that air pollution is a cross-cutting challenge impacting on the environment, public health and the economy.
“As a rapidly developing city, Nairobi faces significant air pollution challenges that directly impact the health of our citizens, especially our most vulnerable communities,” he observed.
He said that according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) 2024 report, an estimated 268 deaths annually in Nairobi are linked to air pollution.
“Even more alarming is that 10 per cent of Nairobi’s health budget is currently allocated to treating illnesses related to air pollution,” he said, adding that this is to remind us that air quality management is crucial for safeguarding the wellbeing of us all.
Mosiria said with the deployment of these sensors, the county will be in a better position to identify pollution hotspots, enforce regulations, and develop sector-based interventions that will bring a difference to the people of Nairobi.
He urged the residents to embrace cleaner practices, to invest in sustainable technologies, and to align with our vision for a healthy county, ensuring that everyone, including our children, breathes air that nurtures their health, not harms it.
“We are prioritising ongoing efforts to educate and inform the public on air quality status and its health impacts. We are encouraging communities to promote community compliance to reduce pollution sources,” he added.
By Anita Omwenga
