The government is moving to strengthen Nairobi’s ageing sewer network by introducing mobile sewer flushing trucks as part of a broader river clean-up drive.
Through the Ministry of Water, Sanitation and Irrigation, the Athi Water Works Development Agency has announced plans to acquire two vehicle-mounted sewer flushing units for use by the Nairobi City Water and Sewerage Company. The equipment purchase, financed by the African Development Bank, falls under Phase Two of the ongoing Sewerage Improvement Project.
Each unit will have a 4,000-litre capacity and will be mounted on trucks, allowing rapid deployment across different neighbourhoods in the capital. The machines will be used to unblock sewer lines, remove accumulated waste and sediments, and restore normal flow during both routine maintenance and emergency situations.
The procurement forms part of the wider Nairobi Rivers Basin Rehabilitation and Restoration Programme, under which the government has committed about Sh50 billion to rehabilitate the Nairobi, Mathare and Ngong rivers. Launched in March 2025, the initiative targets a 27-kilometre stretch of the rivers, with the goal of turning it into a cleaner, greener and economically productive corridor by January 2027.
In a notice published on MyGov, the ministry invited qualified suppliers to submit bids for the delivery of the two flushing units, describing them as a critical tool in improving sewer management in the city.
Phase Two of the programme places particular emphasis on upgrading sewer infrastructure to prevent untreated wastewater from flowing into rivers a long-standing challenge that has contributed to pollution and heightened public health concerns in Nairobi.
